


Let's Play a Game

by solid_smiles



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Arguments, Crying, Fights, Happy Ending, Kind of creepy, M/M, Sad with a Happy Ending, a psychopath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-04-29 15:18:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 84,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14475483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solid_smiles/pseuds/solid_smiles
Summary: || NOTICE: Original author is KCGG_Goddess in Wattpad. I am a co-writer and editor (solid_smiles), and since the author doesn't have an AO3 account, I am in charge of posting the story here. ||[Description:]No one's forcing you, you're making all the choices.You're responsible, it's no one else's fault.You chose to play the game, now finish it."You get what you want from playing this game, but it's ultimately your decisions that create your fate."





	1. Game 001

**Author's Note:**

> [Author's Note:] 
> 
> First Chapter!!! Hope you guys liked it, and will look forward to the upcoming ones! This is my first Monsta X fanfic that are not oneshots, so I really hope you enjoyed it. :)))
> 
> Leave Kudos and comment if you liked it! It motivates me to see someone enjoying my story :)
> 
> Also, if you don't mind, check out my instagram fanpage for Jooheon, @baby_joohoney :D

“Hello young man, you look like you need some entertainment in your life.” 

Hyungwon narrowed his eyes at the man who unceremoniously showed up and blocked his way to home.

“Excuse me?” The sun wasn’t going to stay up for long, and all Hyungwon wanted that moment is to return home and curl under his blankets on his bed he calls heaven. Not to be confronted by a creepy weirdo wearing an even creepier mask.

“I mean, you look bored, don’t you?” The man was around the same height as Hyungwon, which he had to admit, was impressive. His voice was muffled slightly by the mask but the question was stated clear enough for Hyungwon to practically hear the smile forming on the stranger’s face.

“No I’m not bored sir, I’m just tired.” Hyungwon was starting to lose patience, especially in the late afternoon of a cold winter day. He rolled his eyes, and decided to say whatever he needed to get this man out of his face. “Look, I just want to go home and sleep. So will you please leave me alone?”

Hyungwon stepped forward, ready to push the man aside if needed, but instead almost came into contact with the yellow mask with a smiley face printed on it, because the man decided miraculously that it would be a great idea to suddenly press his face against Hyungwon’s as close as possible. 

“Ok what the _hell_ to you want from me?” Hyungwon was done being nice; it was frustrating enough that he had an annoying case to deal with on a Friday. He was very tempted to push the man away from him, but luckily his lawyer instincts were there to prevent him from doing stupid things. 

Hyungwon stepped backwards, creating more space between the two so that their faces aren’t going to stick together. He let out a sigh he didn’t know he was keeping in, clearly tired of the weird and annoying things that kept happening to him. At that moment he wished nothing more than to erase the smiley face out of his memory, and if that’s not enough, to rip his mask off and burn it. Because damn that smiley emoji thing is starting to look unsettling.

“Let’s try again!” As if things weren’t ridiculous enough, “Smiley” tilted his head and his voice brightened up ten times as if he just woke up as a new person. “Call me Smiley,” oh there we go. “So now that I know what you want, will you join my game?”

Saying Hyungwon was confused would be an understatement. Hyungwon was baffled and perplexed, and if he could he would stare holes through that yellow mask. But something caught his attention, and his mouth moved faster than his brain (even though a lawyer should be doing the exact opposite of that), “Game? What game?”

Smiley giggled, but Hyungwon decided smartly to ignore that, afraid that it might creep him out if he didn’t do so.

“Hyungwon, you will get whatever you desire in this game.” Smiley started his explanation, the excitement in his voice too obvious for Hyungwon to be comfortable with.

“Wait how do-“ Of course the tone of Smiley’s voice wasn’t the only thing that concerned Hyungwon. _How do you know my name, you creep?_

“The game will need more contestants,” Hyungwon was totally ignored, and the rudeness just added to the distastefulness of the man. The man he wished he never bumped into.

“So will you please, seeing how kind you are, invite 3 more friends by tomorrow? I will give you 24 hours, and please arrive in the venue 10 minutes before so we can get ready.” Smiley stuffed a piece of paper into Hyungwon’s hand, with only what Hyungwon assumed to be the venue address scribbled on it.

Everything was happening too quickly for the lawyer to comprehend. His mind was trying to grasp hold of the situation, but everything kept slipping away and breaking apart, unable to assemble themselves into something that made at least a little sense to him.

_Ok Hyungwon. Calm the fuck down. This creepy man just wants to play a game. Nothing weird right? Nothing you should be worried about._

He shut his eyes to recompose himself, but when he opened them again the yellow mask was nowhere to be seen. Hyungwon would have gotten on with his life accepting this as a ridiculous dream if it wasn’t because of the paper still crumpled between his long fingers. 

Thoughts harassed his mind all the way home, but one stood out from the others.

_How in the world will you find 3 people Hyungwon? You have no friends._

It was also this thought that proved to Hyungwon that he had accepted to join the game, without really knowing why.

-

The next day Hyungwon woke up at a surprising early hour of 8:30am, unwelcome thoughts already invading his mind before he even got the chance to leave his bed. He pulled the thick warm sheets over his head, trying desperately to get back to the thing he loved most, but to no avail.

Instead he found himself forming a plan silently of how to invite 3 strangers to the “game” that would start today. A frustrated groan left Hyungwon’s lips, his frown the only evidence needed to prove how dumb he is to just impetuously oblige to the stranger he known for 15 minutes.

After a few minutes of lying on bed and hating himself, he finally got up from his favourite place in the house and cleaned up.

He styled his hair so his bangs fell over his forehead covering his eyebrows, and made sure to wash his face so a slight blush could be seen on his cheeks. If he was going to meet strangers he needed to make sure he looked alive and cheerful. 

10 minutes of looking in his wardrobe was all the time he needed to decide on the perfect outfit. He slipped on a pair of ripped jeans, pulled a black t-shirt over his head with a green turtleneck on top of it. The weather forecast said it was going to be a sunny day, so it wasn’t going to be freezing like yesterday.

Hyungwon gulped down a cup of coffee before leaving, smiling at his reflection in the hallway mirror, pleased with his fashion choice. Finally he put on his blue converse shoes and was ready to go.

On the way down the building, Hyungwon hoped silently that his casual wear and a bright smile looks friendly enough to befriend 3 people in 8 hours.

A stroll on the park right beside his apartment building and he already spotted a potential target. Hyungwon approached the young male leaning against a tree a phone in his hands.

The male had brown hair just like Hyungwon, but it was slightly longer, the hairline separating it into two parts so that one side was neatly gelled up and the other side was left hanging over his forehead brushing his eyelashes.

Hyungwon met enough people in his lifetime to be able to distinguish a good face from a bad one.

_Hopefully this time too._

“Excuse me?” A frown appeared on the young man’s face almost immediately those words escaped Hyungwon’s mouth. Panic rose quickly and the self-conscious Hyungwon couldn’t help but to feel responsible of the sudden change in the man’s expression.

Once again Hyungwon was just jumping to conclusions, for the panic was quickly thrown to the back of his head when the man turned his head and looked at Hyungwon with the cutest eye smile he had ever seen. 

“Yes?” Hyungwon quickly smiled back, and opened his mouth to say something. Only he had no idea what to say, and had almost face palmed in front of a stranger.

_Great job Hyungwon. You didn’t even plan this out properly. What are you going to say? “Do you want to play a game?” I don’t think so._

Luckily the man waited patiently, and didn’t seem uncomfortable with the awkward silence. In those few moments Hyungwon managed to say, “Why the frown just now?”

As if the man was preparing for this moment, he answered right away, talking so casually even to a stranger he had never met in his life. “I was supposed to play soccer with my friends, but they ditched me last minute.” Hyungwon failed to suppress the excitement in his eyes, feeling lucky to meet such a friendly guy on first try.

“Oh I see.” Feeling refreshed, Hyungwon grasped the opportunity right in front of him. “I’m Hyungwon, nice to meet you.” He stretched out a hand and the man put away his phone to shake it. Before the stranger can introduce himself in return, Hyungwon continued. “I was wondering, do you want to play soccer with me? There’s a game this afternoon.”

Everything came spilling out of Hyungwon’s mouth like an autopilot function was turned on. He didn’t even care that his words couldn’t have made any sense to anyone, nor did he care about any resolutions he had of not lying. It wasn’t all lies anyways. There is a game. He just didn’t know what.

He shouldn’t have to, but Hyungwon assumed the man stared back at him, because he had really small eyes and all Hyungwon could see was two black lines in the place where eyeballs should be. The slight hesitation was enough to make Hyungwon worry about the answer he was going to get.

_Great. This guy probably thinks you’re crazy._

However Hyungwon felt his hand being lifted up, and he had never felt any luckier in his life when he heard the man say, “Sure, I don’t know who you are, but I love soccer too much to miss out a game. And I don’t have anything to do anyways.”

Hyungwon almost jumped and screamed in the unexpected success, but that would most likely scare the man away, so he pushed those feelings away and shook the hand again.

He quickly recited the address he saw on the paper he read this morning, and told the man to arrive at 4:00pm, the same time he met Smiley yesterday.

Before leaving, he asked, “Sorry, I forgot my manners back then. What’s your name?”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jooheon.”

-

Hyungwon was a bit worried everything was just a little beginner’s luck, but that theory was quickly proven wrong when he met yet another friendly stranger.

It’s funny how Hyungwon had been meeting thieves, liars and even murderers in his lawyer career, convinced that this world is just a horrible place for breeding evil. And now after all this he realizes there are many still good people out there, enough for him to meet two in a row. 

The new “friend” calls himself Shownu, and is roughly the same height as Hyungwon, but is probably 99% muscle and 1% human, a flip side with Hyungwon, who was 100% skin and bones.

Hyungwon had found Shownu sitting on a bench in the same park looking really miserable and deep in thought. After a few minutes of conversing he learnt that Shownu had broke up with his boyfriend hastily without much thought, and he wanted to get back together.

Once again, Hyungwon told half the truth and promised Shownu that playing the game will help him get his boyfriend back. 

Now that there was only one person left, Hyungwon decided to walk a bit so he could get brunch afterwards.

On the streets someone with bright red hair caught his attention. And it wasn’t only the hair that caught Hyungwon’s attention either. Just like Shownu, the man standing on the other side of the road was really muscular. Even from this distance, Hyungwon was able to make out the white skin that shone under the sun, as well as the beautiful facial features on his face.

Being a workaholic Hyungwon is, he had never thought about his sexuality, but one thing was sure and that was Hyungwon finding the man handsome and attractive.

The light turned green and the red haired man walked towards Hyungwon, who was already ready for another conversation.

“Good morning!” Surprisingly, it wasn’t Hyungwon that said those words. The man stopped right in front of Hyungwon and stared at Hyungwon’s lips.

“Good morning!” Hyungwon quickly replied, already used to people complimenting and getting strangely interested in his big lips.

After talking a little about the weather, Hyungwon felt comfortable enough to get to his point.

“I’m Hyungwon by the way. And I was wondering, are you interested in playing a game?” This time Hyungwon waited for the man to introduce himself too.

“Oh um, you can call me Wonho.”

_What’s with the nicknames? First Shownu then Wonho. Those can’t be their real names._

But nicknames or not, it didn’t matter, so Hyungwon just smiled politely and waited for Wonho’s answer.

“I’m actually really hungry right now, so if you come eat with me maybe I will play this game of yours.” Wonho nodded towards a nearby restaurant and winked at Hyungwon.

Hyungwon had no idea what the wink was for, but instead of feeling uncomfortable like his old self would, he felt his body heat up a little, as if his heart was suddenly beating faster, pushing more blood to rush into his veins, the kinetic energy generating heat.

_You’re probably not making any sense Hyungwon. Just agree and get done with your mission._

Trusting his thoughts, he shook those feelings away and accompanied Wonho to the restaurant and ate brunch with him.

-

Hyungwon walked out his apartment once again at 3:40pm, took a bus and walked for 3 more minutes, arriving at the venue where the “game” would be held. He frowned and look around, but there was no other buildings nearby.

The building in front of him was an abandoned station, and everything was so old the wall - well, what's left it anyways - turned yellow. Most of the wallpapers were torn off.

He almost squealed when someone tapped his shoulder, but he clamped his mouth shut with his hand, turned around and rolled his eyes instead.

There was no one else around, so it was acceptable to shout without ruining his impression. So that’s what Hyungwon did. “WHAT THE-”

“I see you arrived 10 minutes earlier like I asked you to.” Hyungwon stared furiously at the yellow mask, and barely managed to stop himself from giving Smiley a middle finger, for interrupting him _and_ scaring him.

“Come in.” Without waiting any further, Smiley turned around and walked towards the door, not even turning around to see if Hyungwon was following.

But Hyungwon did anyways, with a sense intrigue even he didn’t know why he had in the first place.

Once the door closed behind him, he was surrounded with pure blackness, and Smiley was nowhere to be seen.

_Well of course you dumbass. It’s so dark you can’t even see your fingers, so how would you be able to see a person?_

He stood patiently on one spot and waited for further instructions.

Suddenly a light turned on to the right, revealing an opened door. Somewhere, through speakers, Hyungwon heard the familiar voice of the masked man. “Go in the room, the other contestants will go in there too after they arrive.”

Hyungwon shrugged and did as he was told, closing the door behind him.

Before he could turn around and look around the room, he felt something connect hard with his head, the impact making him stumble and fall to the ground. 

Only the head was affected, but everything felt sore and tired as if the pain spread out throughout his body.

Good news is, the pain was no longer there when Hyungwon closed his eyes and fell into a coma. 

At 4:00pm sharp, all 3 contestants arrived at the building. Just like Hyungwon, they were puzzled by the weird choice of venue, but it was quickly replaced by disappointment and anger.

“How are we supposed to play soccer with only 3 people? Where is the ball? Why is it so dark? Are we playing with night vision goggles?”

“Soccer? What do you mean? Is the game soccer? Hyungwon didn’t tell me that." 

“Wait. You know Hyungwon too?” 

“Yea, we met this morning.” 

“Me too.”

“What? You too? Is he playing pranks on us?”

“Who the hell would play pranks on people they’ve just met?” 

“Apparently this Hyungwon does.”

“What the hell is wrong with him?”

“Yah Hyungwon where they hell are you?!” 

“What is this bullshit?!” 

“You liar!”

“You know what, let’s just leave.” 

“Yea ok.”

“Bye Hyungwon. We don’t have times to play stupid games with you.”

The three contestants turned around and reached for the door handle. They pulled, but the door didn’t move at all. No matter how hard they trid, it didn’t even budge. Strings of curses escaped their mouths and filled the room, echoing in the darkness.

“Leaving already? The game hasn’t even started yet.”

All movements stopped, and the echoes slowly faded away. Three heads turned around, looking for the owner of the new voice.

Three pairs of eyes settled on the huge screen in front of them, new questions already forming in their heads.

“Is that Hyungwon?”

“That mask is so-”

“SHUT UP!” The contestants jumped at the sudden outburst, instinctively huddling closer for safety.

“I’m Smiley,” One mouth opened to say something but shut it again when he got nudged in the elbow. “As you know already, Hyungwon invited you to play a game. Don’t worry, you will have a lot of fun.”

Silence filled the room; no one dared to talk anymore.

“Jeez why do you talk when I don’t want you to talk, but magically turn dumb when I expect you to talk?”

When Smiley realized no one was going to talk, he continued. “Weren’t you angry? Don’t you want to see Hyungwon? Don’t you want to _leave?_ ” The emphasis on the last word was provoking enough to bring the anger back.

“Yes we want to leave! Who the fuck are you anyways?”

“I don’t care who you are, just let us go!”

The last contestant mumbled something like “can’t believe such a handsome person can be such a dick”.

Smiley giggled, “That’s the spirit! Before the first game, go grab a drink by the vending machine! Don’t worry, it’s free.”

Another light turned on, revealing a lone vending machine by the corner of the room. The room turned out to be quite small, just a bit bigger than the normal living room. Well a living room without the furniture.

The three contestants looked over to the vending machine, not sure what to do exactly. The machine looked…normal. You can even see the same old advertisements at the side and the familiar white glow from the glass case. It looked out of place to the three people. It was a normal object to be seen, but not so normal when you are surrounded by _anything_ but normal. And this, and the yellow mask guy, was definitely anything but normal.

“What if this is the ‘game’ and you are just messing with us?” One contestant wondered out loud, and the other two muttered in agreement.

“Oh come on, I just want my guests to feel hydrated before the games! Believe me, this isn’t the game. There’s nothing I can do with a stupid vending machine.”

“I…I can go first, if that makes it better?” Another spoke out, but with obvious uncertainty. He quickly went on to explain, “I’m not trusting that guy ok? It’s not what it sounds like, I’m just really thirsty all of a sudden.” He waited a while, as if expecting permission, but he set off before anyone said anything.

He pressed a button, and the sound of the bottle dropping pierced through the silence.

Everyone saw, even from far away, that a bottle of water was chosen.

Apart from that, they saw safety.

So the other two contestants went and bought their drinks, and after a drink they return to the spot in front of the screen.

“Great! You’re ready now!” Smiley exclaimed, “Here’s the first game!”

A light turned on, revealing a glass box. Everyone stopped drinking when they realize who is in the glass box. Some orange juiced spilled out from an open mouth, staining the contestant’s clothes.

One by one they gasped, each one louder than the previous one.

Gasps were only supposed to be sounds. But this time it had a meaning. And everyone knew what it means.

_What the fuck is happening?_

“You want to leave right?” Smiley continued as if nothing was happening, talking to the three people as if they were kids waiting for an adult’s permission to leave. “In 5 minutes, I will press a button that will release gas into the box. And I can’t say for sure what gas they will be.” Smiley stopped talking, unable to talk because he was too busy laughing like a maniac.

Smiley cleared his throat.

“Anyways. Here’s the game. If you want to leave, I will press the button in 5 minutes. But if you want to save Hyungwon, you just have to stay and play the game with me. Just choose. It’s as simple as that.” Smiley’s laughter filled the room again.

The laughter sent chills down the contestants’ spine, stealing their breaths away.


	2. Game 001 (2)

_It was as simple as that._

The contestants settled their gaze on the unconscious Hyungwon in the box, and then averted their gaze to the screen, which had changed to a huge timer counting down from 5 minutes. They looked back and forth between the two, stomachs churning, unaware or whether fear, or disbelief, was the one that was slowing eating away their patience.

The uneasiness sinks in as they realise the undeniable truth: it was not as simple as that.

Finally the red haired contestant could not take it anymore. “You know what, screw this. I’m calling the police.”

The other two muttered in agreement, still fazed by the situation, staring at the finger hovering over “9” as if their life depended on it. Well, that wasn’t far from the truth.

The phone was raised to an ear, but no one spoke for what felt like minutes, when in fact the timer indicates that there was still 4 minutes and 30 seconds left.

“Fuck, why is there no sound?” The red haired man ripped the phone away from his ear and glared at the screen in frustration, and if it hadn’t been the newest iPhone X, the thin black box would have been on the other side of the room by now.

Phones were pulled out and turned on, well, attempted to be anyways. Nothing showed other than blackness. Disappointing, depressing, blackness.

“Shit, is my phone dead?”

“No, mine is black, too.”

“What are we supposed to do _now?_ ”

They looked back towards Hyungwon, still lying lifeless against the cold floor. Despite everything, his closed eyes looked peaceful and calming.

No one talked for a good while. No one _dared_ talk. The truth was way too dreadful to be spoken out loud.

_Smiley did something to your phones. You have no choice but to make a choice._

“Look, we don’t have much time,” The tallest one started. “I say we…” He hesitated, searching for the right words. “I mean, _he_ won’t actually kill that man right?”

It took a while for the others to realise what those words meant.

“W-wait. You don’t mean-We can’t just leave him-” 

_Pat. Pat. Pat._

“Y-yea. I don’t want to be a murderer!”

_PAT. PAT. PAT_

“What was that?” The tallest one asked again. 

_PATPATPATPATPATPATPATPATPATPAT!!!!!!_

Three heads jerked towards the source of the sound, which happened to be the only illuminated area in this room.

“Oh, he’s awake.” It was not clear who spoke; it was too dark to be sure anyways.

They walked toward the glass box, thinking that everything would be easier since the victim could just make the decision for them.

“What the hell is happening? What’s with the timer?” The glass muffled the voice, but the fear and desperation was still very much evident.

The three contestants looked at each other, afraid to reveal the truth.

Hyungwon looked at each of them carefully from left to right, and then focused his eyes on the glass instead when no one spoke. “Since I’m locked up, and since you are apparently scared to even tell me, I assume it’s really bad.” Hyungwon tried really hard to stay calm, to show even a little control over something that is clearly out of his control. He realized that he was the reason for all this, he had to take responsibility somehow, and staying calm and acting like the leader seemed like the right thing to do.

However Hyungwon soon felt his self-control running away from the intimidating red words on the screen. He could not help it. He did not want this to happen.

_It’s normal to be scared under these circumstances._

Still, no one talked. And that’s when Hyungwon burst.

“Oh come _on_! _Speak_ up you bunch of cowards! Stop pulling this silence bullshit with me. Seriously. I thought you are all nice people. If you are then help! Do what you are supposed to be doing now.” Hyungwon huffed, then added, “Hello? Jooheon? Wonho? Shownu?” Hyungwon hoped to wake them up by calling their names. A bit childish, but that was all he could have done.

The three friends reacted accordingly to their names, so now they finally know each other properly. Well, kind of.

Jooheon opened his mouth and formed words, but none of them can be heard because of the loud booming one that resonated through the room.

“Well things just got interesting. I didn’t plan for Hyungwon to wake up.” 

Shownu, Wonho, and Jooheon clenched their teeth and used all resources to keep themselves from shouting. They did not know who were they angrier at, Smiley or Hyungwon. Hyungwon was why they were here in the first place, but it was clear that Smiley was behind all this. Before they could decide, Smiley spoke again. 

“Anyways, I understand that you don’t have much time left. And you know what? I’m feeling nice today, and since this is getting interesting, I will give you five more minutes. Don’t have to thank me.” 

The four contestants were supposed to be relieved at the time extension, but that irritating voice seemed to have an opposite effect on them. It was obvious that everything was going wrong. The problem was literally right in front of them. It was not something that could be shaken off and ignored that easily.

“Look, I’m going to get you out ok? I could have been playing soccer right now, but that doesn’t matter anymore.” Jooheon spoke first, his voice sounding steady enough to reassure Hyungwon. Then he turned around and spoke, this time to Wonho and Shownu. “You will help right?”

Wonho nodded his head vigorously, but Shownu narrowed his eyes at them like they were out of their minds.

“I’m sorry but wait a minute here.” Shownu let out a chuckle that made them think twice about saying more.

 _He looks at Jooheon and Wonho like that when clearly he’s the crazy one._ Hyungwon thought, frowning at his growing sense of despair.

“I literally just met this guy this morning. We’ve known each other for less than what, 5 hours? I was told that this was a game. A _game._ How do you know this isn’t just a bunch of lies? I’m not staying to play, I didn’t sign up for this bullshit. This is just part of the game isn’t it? I want to leave. I know you want to leave too. I don’t care if I have to leave him here.”

Hyungwon dropped to the floor after that speech. Realization hit him like a rock. He saw how Wonho and Jooheon flinched whenever Shownu said the word “leave”. It’s his fault that he’s so unbelievably stupid and gullible to trust a stranger just like that. Every part of his brain screamed at him to say something, _anything,_ so that he wouldn’t be left alone here to rot away. But his mouth was clamped shut. What can he say? He didn’t even have the right to speak. He was the selfish one, forcing people he barely knows to play games with him. Shownu’s right. Shownu was the victim here. Wonho and Jooheon too.

Hyungwon concentrated on the floor, ashamed to look at the three new friends. He shook his head, frustrated at himself.

_What do you mean ‘new friends’? They aren’t your friends. You don’t qualify to be their friends Hyungwon. You’re just a selfish coward that doesn’t even have the courage to admit to your mistakes and apologise._

“Shownu, right?” It was Wonho. Funny how Hyungwon could recognize them solely by voice, as if they were actually good friends. “You’ve seen it. You’ve seen _him._ He-that guy, he’s crazy all right? Who would randomly tell someone to ‘recruit’ 3 people and play fucking games? Listen, this is fucked up. So shouldn’t we help each other?”

“Wonho, right?” Hyungwon heard a snort, probably from Wonho, seeing how Shownu just mimicked his greeting. “Not trying to be pessimistic or whatever, but you said so yourself. This _is_ fucked up. So in case you can’t see the obvious, we should _definitely_ just leave this place as soon as possible. Am I right?” 

_Great. Now they are fighting. They are supposed to be really nice and friendly people. What have you done Hyungwon? They could’ve been great friends, if you wasn’t for you._

“No you’re not right.” Hyungwon almost laughed at how ridiculous this is. Jooheon said that. He’s the youngest one. He was supposed to have the least to worry about. And now he joined in the argument, the argument about Hyungwon. Hyungwon felt like shit. But Jooheon clearly didn’t see the bitter expression on Hyungwon’s face, because he continued.

“Look, Shownu or whatever your name is. We don’t have much time left. Judging by how crazy that person behind the screen is, he will probably still release that gas _and_ make us stay if we don’t decide after that timer reaches 0.” Apparently Hyungwon was waiting for Shownu to fight back, because he was surprised to be confronted with a silence. He looked up and saw the frown on Shownu’s face. There was doubt in those eyes too, Hyungwon saw it.

“Besides, I don’t know about you, but I will never want to go out that door thinking I’ve left someone here to suffer alone. That’s just wrong.” Maybe it isn’t the time, but Hyungwon felt strangely touched by those words.

“Sounds to me like you are just scared.” Shownu once again found his words and formed an argument. But Hyungwon heard it. It was different. Shownu sounded unsure. Those words were just, well, words. No effect, no impact.

“This isn’t about us being scared. Though I have to admit I am. But it’s only reasonable. Who wouldn’t be scared? This is ethics we are talking about.” Hyungwon looked at Wonho, and saw the seriousness all over his face. A slight frown was still visible under that expression, and it was all Hyungwon needed to see the fear still very much present inside Wonho. Did he act brave just for Hyungwon, Hyungwon didn’t know. All that he knew was that he had never felt that thankful before.

_BEEEEEEPPPP_

A long beep indicates that there was only 1 minute left. Hyungwon’s pretty sure all of them were sweating, because he was the same, hands so wet they became slippery. 

They were all waiting for Shownu to say something. And Hyungwon knew Shownu knew that, too, because he was staring at Hyungwon, probably deciding whether it was worth it to save this asshole that lied to him.

“Come on, I know you are a nice person Shownu. Don’t ask why I just know it. Just like how I know Hyungwon is nice when he decided all of a sudden to eat with me even when we’ve just met. I know you know it’s not Hyungwon’s fault. Not all of it anyways. I know you want to save him, because you guys are friends. New friends, but still friends.” After that short speech, Hyungwon made a mental note to ask Wonho about his occupation after all this is ended. Because those words, sentence structure, tone and everything else in that, sounded like it came from a professional negotiator.

And Shownu’s reactions showed just that.

Shownu took a few steps back, eyes never leaving Wonho’s. Under the light, Hyungwon saw clearly how Shownu’s pupils moved up and down, then up again, those black orbs quiveringly slightly, trying so hard to look through the person in front of him, examining Wonho like he was an extraterrestrial being. All the other eyes were trained on Shownu, anticipating his next actions. 

Everything was frozen in place, and the silence was stretched on. Soon the inevitable has arrived.

_00:00:10_

The timer showed no signs of stopping. One thing that wasn’t frozen was the red numbers on that big black screen.

_10…9…8…_

Shownu was still frozen on the spot, considering his choices.

_7…6…5…_

Everyone was gritting their teeth so hard some of the enamel has to have came off by now. Jaws and hands were clenched so tight the muscles started to numb. Yet not enough to numb the anxiety.

_4…_

Shownu looked at Hyungwon again and shook his head vigorously, as if flinging away everything in his head.

_3…_

Hyungwon gulped.

_2…_

There was a sigh, then so quiet it was barely a whisper,

“Fine. I will stay.”

The timer stopped.

_00:00:01_

Immediately Shownu walked as far as possible away from the glass box, without needing to get swallowed completely by darkness. He had his back facing Hyungwon, but Hyungwon knew how those eyes would look if Shownu turned around.

_You lost a friend after knowing him for less than a day. Great job Hyungwon. You broke your personal record._

Nevertheless, no gas was pumped into the box. At least that shoved all the negative thoughts away. For now.

Hyungwon wanted to let out a sigh of relief, but it seemed to have gotten stuck in his throat. He looked around at the closed mouths, lips so dry and tensed up, and sees that it was the same for everyone.

“Good game everyone!” Well, except for that one person behind the screen.

“It was a simple game, but you managed to make it so much more interesting! I look forward to the other ones!” They would have cursed at the annoying voice if it weren’t for the new layers of fear that buried their original thoughts. Everyone’s eyes widened at the reminder. It was more like a confirmation, that they are now stuck here forced to play games for god knows how long. “Oh you are now free Hyungwon.” The glass box was lifted by something in the darkness above, and Hyungwon crawled out at the bottom.

No one did anything to comfort Hyungwon. But what could Hyungwon expect anyways, after all this?

Shownu cleared his throat, but before he could say anything, the speakers boomed. 

“Without further ado, let’s move on to the second game, foosball!”

Groans filled the room at the seemingly childish and boring game. Jooheon groaned the loudest, upset that he somehow knew this was the closest game it could ever get to soccer. Hyungwon resisted the urge to roll his eyes, because at the same time he couldn’t help to feel relieved. 

_Maybe this would turn out ok. Foosball sounds fine._

“Ok, get into groups of two!” The cheery voice coming from the speakers contrasted greatly with the complaints around the room.

“Oh, and please be quick about it, we have a schedule to follow.” Hyungwon closed his eyes and breathed deeply, wishing he could just fly up there and punch a hole in the screen. No voice had ever irritated him as much as this one. Thankfully, the screen turned black again.

Hyungwon would be perfectly happy if he wasn’t asked to pair with one of the three people that probably hate him. But sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

_I will just let them choose first, and the one left out would have to deal with me._

Hyungwon thought it would be a really awkward process to pair up, considering how he was the mutual friend, and the other three don’t even know each other existed until about 30 minutes ago.

But that can be thrown out of the window, because Shownu went straight up to Jooheon, grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Hyungwon. He did all this while giving death glares to Hyungwon, occasionally switching to look at Wonho as well. When he felt like the distance was acceptable, he let go of Jooheon’s arm and said, “There, we paired up.”

From his peripheral vision Hyungwon saw how Jooheon was caressing the spot where Shownu grabbed him. His face didn’t give anything away, but Hyungwon knew it’d probably hurt. Hyungwon figured from Jooheon’s dimples that he was clenching his jaw to distract himself from the pain.

Honestly this was perhaps the most reasonable pairing. Shownu definitely didn’t want to pair with Hyungwon, and Wonho was practically the one who saved Hyungwon, and he helped more compared to Jooheon, so Shownu wouldn’t want him either.

Still, Hyungwon wasn’t exactly sure about Wonho’s opinion on this. Hyungwon knew he was just overthinking, because a simple game of foosball couldn’t possibly go wrong even with a partner that hates you. The worst thing Hyungwon could think of that could happen is being shouted at for sucking at that game. And what hurt would that do?

Turned out that was the wrong question to ask, or rather the wrong thing to say because no questions were needed. Wonho agreed to pair with Hyungwon, without even a slight hint of disappointment or reluctance. In fact, he looked exceptionally happy that Shownu pulled Jooheon away and not him.

Hyungwon saw that Shownu and Jooheon were busy talking at the side, so he decided to start a conversation himself.

“Can I ask you something?” Hyungwon turned to Wonho who was already smiling slightly at him.

“Sure.”

“Why…how do I say this,” Hyungwon acted casual and looked elsewhere pretending to think. Inside he found it ridiculous that a lawyer that spoke (in front of a group) for a living was having trouble looking for the right words to say to a friend. He had no idea why he was like this, but he had to say something quick.

“Back then, why were you helping me?” Hyungwon had no idea how that sounded to Wonho, but it sounded quite stupid in his head. Unfortunately Hyungwon has a bad habit of speaking everything – whatever it is – in his mind, not stopping until he ran out of thoughts. “I mean, shouldn’t you hate me? I brought you here, I was the reason you are still here, waiting to play a stupid game. What I’m saying is, why are so nice? You are still smiling, looking as if you want me to be your partner since you were born or something.” 

Hyungwon wanted to clamp a hand over his mouth, but somehow his mind was able to stop his stupid action this time, probably because there wasn’t a point to shut your mouth _after_ you speak.

_Great. You screwed up Hyungwon. You shouldn’t even have spoke in the first place. What if he didn’t hate you before and was only being nice and polite? You had to say these things that probably made him hate you for sure._

Hyungwon snapped out of it when he heard Wonho laugh.

It was kind of a cute laugh, the sounds came out short and quick, and it only repeats for a few times when he loses his voice and can only open his mouth, laughing silently.

The noise made Hyungwon smile. And suddenly everything seemed ok.

“You know what Hyungwon?” Wonho asked after he finally stopped laughing.

“What?”

“Wait, do you want a short or long answer?”

“Are you giving me another ‘choose one’ game?”

“Maybe.”

“Hmm, how about the long one first, then the short one?”

“Fair enough.” Wonho looked at Shownu, then back at Hyungwon. “He was just a bit frustrated, don’t hate him. I know because I was quite angry too. He just needed more time to calm down. And I also know he’s nice too, like all four of us. No one would want to kill someone, even if it’s indirectly.” He crossed his arms and looked at Hyungwon from top to bottom. “Besides, who’d kill a handsome guy like you?”

For a moment Hyungwon was ready to get flustered, letting his body react and probably blush against his will, because what the hell did he just hear? But then he realized that Wonho is trying to contain his laugh. 

“Yah! Don’t say it if you don’t mean it!” Wonho burst at that, and Hyungwon laughed along with him.

“Yea whatever. I know you liked it.” Before Hyungwon could say anything Wonho went on. “Do you want to hear the short answer then?”

“Yea ok.” Hyungwon was starting to like Wonho, he feels like they are becoming actual friends, and he couldn’t help but to smile again.

“See I knew you liked it, you smiled.” Hyungwon opened his mouth to say something but Wonho was faster. “Before you hit me I’m telling you my answer.”

Hyungwon rolled his eyes playfully and made a “go on” gesture. 

“You’re cute.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Author's Note:]
> 
> Hi readers! Thank you very much for people who take time to read my work :))) I will try and update once every two days, but I have assessments coming up which means I might not be writing as frequently, so please bear with me if I delay some updates. Tell me what you feel about the story so far in the comments below, I really want to know how many people like my style of writing ;) 
> 
> Have a nice day!


	3. Game 002

Hyungwon wasn’t sure what he just heard. He knew what Wonho had said, but his brain didn’t seem to be able to process that 4-letter word, because he was left standing there like an idiot. Instead of telling him how to react or what to do, his brain decided it would be a great idea to shut off and leave Hyungwon on his own. It would have been perfectly fine if this were a court he was in. But it wasn’t.

And that was the problem. 

_First handsome, now cute? What is Wonho talking about, and why is my body reacting like this? What the hell is happening to me?_

A lot more questions circled around in Hyungwon’s head, and he was way too concentrated on looking for the answers that he didn’t realize the game was about to start. Not until Wonho patted his shoulder and almost scared him to death.

“Oops, sorry I didn’t mean to surprise you that badly…” Wonho laughed again, it was the same cute one Hyungwon heard just a while ago. Again, Hyungwon couldn’t help but to smile and the sound that he was starting to find appealing. “Let’s go, the game is starting. Let’s win Jooheon and Shownu!” Wonho skipped towards the newly illuminated area, pumping his fists in the air like a kid. Hyungwon realized they were entering another room, glad that this one is at least dimly illuminated enough for him to see the whole room. He wondered who had put the foosball table there, but he was too busy answering the questions in his head to have known anyways. Besides, it might have been there all the time, hidden in the darkness and only revealed by the lights when it was time to use it.

_I should be careful walking around, who knows what other objects there are in this room? I might be running into a wall for all I know._

There was another screen in this room, but it seemed like Smiley was too lazy to turn on the screen, because there was only a note on the table, telling them they had 20 minutes to play and determine the winning team. Why 20 minutes, no one knew, but Smiley did say there was supposedly a schedule to follow. This time, there were no intimidating red timer shit on the screen, so it was safe to assume that whatever time limit they have wasn’t going to be as severe as the previous one.

_Also, feel free to grab another drink, there’s another vending machine here._

The four contestants glanced at each other with confused faces, making an unspoken conversation, that mainly consists of this one question: “Who in the world need so many drinks in the span of 20 minutes?”

But since it was free, they walked over and decided to get one in case they need to rehydrate during the second game.

When it was Shownu’s turn, he realized that the vending machine was the exact same as the previous one. And not only the type of drinks were the same, they were somehow… _connected._

Smiley must have “upgraded” these vending machines, because there were tiny screens showing how many of the drinks are left. In the first room, there were 20 of each, but as he scans the whole collection, he saw a few 18s and one 19. Doing some quick math, he easily learnt that all the contestants chose the exact same drink they chose last time. He got his drink and sure enough, the display turned from 19 to 18. Walking over the foosball table, he saw that Jooheon held the bottle of water, which made him frown. It wasn’t a big deal, he just couldn’t get why Jooheon insisted on getting water. There were over 30 choices in that machine. Well, Smiley did “upgrade” it.

After a few minutes of discussing the rules, they finally started playing.

Surprisingly, Jooheon’s skills fell under all three other contestants’ expectations. You would’ve thought someone who played soccer would be equally good, if not even better, at a mini and simplified version of it. But most of the time Jooheon mixed up which pole to move and failed multiple times to block the ball from falling in his hole. Maybe it was because soccer requires you to use your feet and legs, while foosball is a game testing your hand-eye coordination and reaction time. Yep, that was no doubt the reason.

But no one cared because everyone had fun laughing at Jooheon’s hilarious failed attempts. Heck, even his own teammate made fun of him.

“Kick it back kick it back kick it back kick it back!” Shownu’s eyes followed the ball everywhere, and warned Jooheon when it got too close to the hole. By now the ball lost most of its kinetic energy and was rolling around the goalkeeper’s feet.

“I’m trying!” Jooheon turned his right hand and rotated the pole as slow and steady as possible, trying to position the figure’s legs so it could kick the ball away. He was concentrating so hard, the glistening sweat on his forehead the best indicator for his effort. Hyungwon wanted to think Jooheon didn’t blink once because of how focused he is, but it was hard to tell from the two black lines whether the eyelids ever closed or opened.

Hyungwon and Wonho were waiting for a while now, squeezing their handles and ready to kick the ball back once Jooheon sends it rolling to their side of the table. Their fingers were getting tired from holding this position for a long time, but it didn’t matter at all because Jooheon decided to make the worst mistake ever.

“OH MY GOD JOOHEON!!!!!!” Shownu was so angry the table almost flipped over because he didn’t release his hands from the handles quick enough before raising a hand to fake hit his teammate. He raised his hand, accidentally bought the table with him and the whole table shook. Jooheon already had his hands on his head shielding from the non-existent attack, saying “sorry” again and again, each time with increasing sincerity and volume.

Hyungwon and Wonho hugged their stomachs and laughed at the view in front of them, forgetting all about the triumph from winning the first two rounds.

“What a shame, this would be perfect if we had popcorn.” Hyungwon managed to say between laughs, which just made himself laugh even harder at his own joke, those words having the same effect on Wonho.

When the two finally calmed down, Shownu ceased his actions on “killing” Jooheon and complained instead. “I can’t believe you actually kicked the ball in OUR goal. You idiot.” Hyungwon smiled at the sight of Jooheon’s flustered expression. Maybe it was because this game was…less threatening than the previous game, but Wonho was right, Shownu was indeed a good person. Shownu’s complaint was a playful one, like how friends would annoy each other when they’d made a mistake.

After what seemed like hours, the tension in the air was finally lifted and removed completely. Hyungwon was thankful.

Considering how the four of them were technically kidnapped and forced to play games, that was probably a bit, no, _very_ naïve. If Hyungwon had thought about it even for a little longer, he would’ve realized that they were playing games for the entertainment of someone else. A stranger. And that is definitely not a good thing. That sounded like what psychopath would do.

These thoughts tried to creep into Hyungwon’s brain, but something blocked their entry, forced them to stay away.

Shownu, Wonho and Jooheon was returning to their places, ready for the next round. There were huge smiles on their faces. It seemed like they were talking about something amusing. There was a vibe, a different feeling to this, which made Hyungwon smile despite not listening to the conversation. _Is this what having friends feel like?_

Hyungwon got his answer when he realized nothing negative could get into his brain.

When they were playing the final round, the screen finally turned on again, and to their disappointment, the speakers too. 

“I’m just here to remind you that you only have 5 minutes left.” The familiar yellow mask reappeared on the screen, and all hand movements stopped to focus on whatever Smiley wanted to announce. The four contestants’ eyes were fixated on the screen, expecting more information on what was going to happen after 5 minutes. 

But maybe it was time to learn that you don’t always get what you want in life.

Smiley did say something, but it was nothing near what they wanted to hear.

“I see that Hyungwon’s team is winning.” So Hyungwon was being spied at this whole time. _Why doesn’t this surprise me?_ “I have an idea to make this slightly more interesting. How about I let you play one last round; just continue where you left off. Then if Shownu’s team wins this round they win the whole game. Sounds good right? Sounds like a great idea to me, so go on!” With that, the screen switched off. Then was that a rhetorical question, you ask? Of course it was, why would someone like Smiley give you a chance to reject his “amazing” suggestions? He just does whatever he wants.

But since this additional rule was nothing serious to worry about, the contestants went with it. They had no choice either way.

Shownu and Jooheon tried even harder in the last round, now knowing they actually had a chance to win. Smiley never told them what’d happen to the winner, but even without a prize, who would ever say no to the satisfaction of getting first place?

So for once, everyone stay muted and no one talked, afraid to lose track of the ball or make the wrong move while multitasking. As expected, Hyungwon and Wonho took the lead again, and was one point away from winning.

“You better focus harder…” Wonho commented, ready to flick his wrist and kick the ball straight into the goal when the ball rolls to the right spot. “Don’t get too happy just yet, we are also one point away from winning.” Shownu responded with pride, glad that Jooheon had become more careful after the mistake he made. 

“It’s almost there Wonho.” Hyungwon saw the ball that is slowly rolling towards the figure’s legs and reminded his teammate to do something before it rolls away. 

Wonho’s grip tightened around the handle, the force so hard that it might break the handle in half if he held on any tighter.

The ball arrived to its perfect spot, but would slowly roll away again if no action was taken. Wonho flicked his wrist…

…and almost broke the pole.

“What the…” Wonho mutters in disbelief, his wrist repeating the same pointless action that did nothing to turn the pole, or the figures attached to it. Surprise written all over his face, Hyungwon only managed to stare when the ball rolled to Jooheon’s pole. Under Jooheon’s control, the pole was moved and positioned, and in one blink of an eye the ball successfully entered Hyungwon’s goal. Hyungwon was the one controlling the goalkeeper, but he too failed to move it to the correct place. 

Ignoring Shownu and Jooheon’s triumphant cheers, Hyungwon nudged Wonho and asked, “What happened?”

Wonho, still confused, tried to make some sense out of the scene that played before him just a few seconds ago. All he managed to get out was, “I think my pole got stuck.” Hyungwon nodded, satisfied with the answer, and replied, “Yea, I think mine did too. That explains it.” As if he finally snapped out of the confusion and digested all the information, Hyungwon smiled and added, “Oh well, good game.”

Wonho explained to curious Shownu about how the poles got stuck all of a sudden, but not without complaining about the unfairness. “That _is_ a bit weird, like there were some magic or trickery.”

“Magic? You believe in those?” Wonho asked, almost teasing the other.

“Nah, I was just kidding.” Shownu chuckled, and Wonho turned to talk to Hyungwon again.

“Come on, aren’t you happy that we won?” It was Jooheon, still very happy from defeating his opponent.

Shownu smiled as if he was a father talking to his son, and explained, “Of course I’m happy, but I still find it too weird. What are the chances that both poles that got stuck were Hyungwon’s and Wonho’s ones?” Jooheon nodded slowly, thinking over Shownu’s words. “Are you saying, that someone _wanted_ us to win? Like someone actually did something to Hyungwon and Wonho’s poles, so they can’t win no matter what?” Shownu pointed at Jooheon, his eyes shining, all frustration turning into excitement immediately, like how a detective gets thrilled after discovering the truth.

“That’s it! That’s what I’m saying.” Shownu thought over it for a while, then continued, “But it still doesn’t make sense. Nothing happened in the first two rounds, and no one else touched the table before round three. No one could’ve done it.”

“Yea see? That’s why it’s just a mere coincidence.” Jooheon shrugged, losing interest in the conversation.

“I mean, that guy in the mask is quite weird, he could’ve done it.” Shownu said quietly, not certain enough to speak confidently. But no one verified his speculations, because Jooheon zoned out from the conversation and didn’t catch what the other was saying.

Suddenly music started playing from the speakers, the unexpected loud explosions of the strong beats startling the four contestants.

“Oh my god I got a heart attack.” Jooheon clutched his heart, a bit too dramatic to gain any attention from the others.

The music stopped after a while, and the screen switched back on.

“Oops sorry I pressed the wrong button.” Smiley laughed awkwardly at the annoyed expressions, but quickly shut up after the futile attempt to liven up the atmosphere. He cleared his throat and said, “Since you’ve played two games already, I have something to announce.” 

Hyungwon walked closer to the screen, his three friends following closely behind. Their faces glowed under the screen. “ _After_ listening to this announcement, download our app, ‘Smiles’. Each time we play a game, the winner gain points. This app will keep track everyone’s points, so you can keep track of how you’re doing as the games progress. When all the games have been played, the person with the most points wins. The winner will get a reward, but I won’t tell you what that is yet. And I know what you’re going to ask, but no I won’t tell you how many of these games you are going to play. Now you can download the app.”

 _Well that was the most useless announcement ever._ Hyungwon thought. He just wanted to know what the hell this game is made for.

“But last time I used the phone, it wouldn’t switch on…” Wonho said while pulling his phone out.

“Well, I guess you’re wrong.” Jooheon showed Wonho his brightly lit screen, and soon everyone else was also staring at the newly recovered phones.

Hyungwon swiped back and forth between empty pages that were once filled with apps, wondering out loud, “But where are all my stuff?” His hope of calling the police slowly faltered away.

“Is App Store the only app in our phones?” Shownu frowned, looking at the others who were also swiping frantically on their screens, as if looking for apps that might have hid somewhere in the small screen.

“Do you mean Play Store?” Jooheon said innocently.

“Yea whatever I don’t care if you use android. You get what I mean.”

Hyungwon wanted to laugh but it didn’t seem appropriate. Instead he said, “Let’s just download it. I assume that Smiley did this to our phones, so we can only hope that he will change it back once this ends.”

Having no other choice, Jooheon, Wonho and Shownu accepted Hyungwon’s advice and downloaded the app. Even the app icon was a smiley face with a yellow background. Ew.

Hyungwon felt his phone vibrate. A notification must have popped up after the app was installed. Hyungwon frowned because the app didn’t even ask him whether he wanted notifications. Like any other app would.

_Only this isn’t any other app. Everything else is so much weirder, why would you let something as little as notifications concern you now?_

Hyungwon sighed and pressed into the “POINTS” area.

| 

**Game 001**

| 

**Game 002**

| 

**Total**  
  
---|---|---|---  
  
_Hyungwon_

| 

_1_

| 

_0_

| 

_1_  
  
_Jooheon_

| 

_1_

| 

_1_

| 

_2_  
  
_Shownu_

| 

_1_

| 

_1_

| 

_2_  
  
_Wonho_

| 

_1_

| 

_0_

| 

_1_  
  
  
The others were busy fiddling with the new app and figuring out the different functions, when they hear soft noises coming from behind them.

4 figures turned around in lightening speed, body reacting before their brains could catch up on the whole new situation. Jooheon, obviously the most frightened one, with the phone shaking in his hands, whispered in a wavering voice, “W-what was that?” 

Shownu shushed him. There was a faint click, then the sound of a door opening and closing. Shownu walked closer to Jooheon and put a hand on Jooheon’s shaking arm, squeezing it lightly in reassurance. The increasing volume of what seemed like the faint thumps of footsteps made it clear that whoever opened the door was advancing closer to them.

And that whoever’s coming, wasn’t coming alone.

Hyungwon, who was standing on the other side of Jooheon, felt Jooheon’s shaking body. “They are just people, it’s okay.” Hyungwon whispered just loud enough for Jooheon to hear, even though he wasn’t sure that it was ‘okay’. _What if those people held weapons and are here to kill us?_ Hyungwon closed his eyes and mentally slapped himself. 

_If you’re going to reassure someone, at least act confident and brave. I don’t think asking these stupid questions and scaring yourself will help at all. You should start using your brain-_

Hyungwon never finished berating himself because the mysterious strangers got close enough for Hyungwon and his friends to hear their conversations. Hyungwon’s breath hitched and his shoulders tensed, which is a bad idea because that affected Jooheon, about ten times more. Shownu clamped a hand over Jooheon’s mouth before he could stifle a scream.

“Hyung, are you sure we’re in the right place? I don’t see or hear anyone.” That was the first line that Hyungwon made out.

“Of course you don’t see or hear anyone, it’s pitch black here.”

“You can hear even if you can’t see. Anyways just turn on your phone flashlight.”

“Hey wait I see some lig-”

The newcomer stopped mid-sentence when they finally saw the four original contestants, standing in a line.

Hyungwon was actually backing away, along with Wonho and Jooheon. Shownu was still covering Jooheon’s mouth, and he, too, took a few steps backwards. He saw that Jooheon’s eye whites the first time since he met him, and found him really cute when Jooheon opened his eyes wide. Even if he had widened them in shock. 

Turning the focus back to the newcomers, Hyungwon saw two men roughly the same age as himself. One had silver hair, which was weird in Hyungwon’s opinion, but had no right to judge because of how handsome the stranger looked with it. The other one, who Hyungwon assumed to be the first stranger’s friend, had dark blue hair, styled the same way Hyungwon did, bangs falling over his forehead and covering his eyebrows.

After a bit of awkward staring – _Seriously author?! You use ‘awkward’, when the silver haired man literally stares at Shownu and licks his lips with a smirk like a freaking psychopath. It should be ‘weird, scary and awkward’ staring._

The whole situation was awkward, but Hyungwon thought it was more…uncomfortable than what could be described by ‘awkward’.

After a bit of disconcerting staring, the silver haired man finally spoke.

“Hi!!” His previous smirk turned to a bright smile. A smile that might have been brighter than the light emitting from the screen above them.

“Hi, who are you?” Wonho realized that nothing was scary about the new guests, so he greeted them like the friendly person he is.

“I’m Minhyuk, and this is my friend I.M.” Minhyuk replied.

 _What a weird nickname. I.M, I’m, I am?_ Hyungwon kept his thoughts to himself, just to be polite. 

Shownu finally removed his hand from Jooheon’s mouth, allowing Jooheon to speak. “You’re not going to kill us right?”

Minhyuk laughed and said, “No of course not! Why, are we supposed to?”

Hyungwon was smart enough to know that it was a joke, but something about it still made him uneasy. And when something made him uneasy, it was going to make Jooheon ten times more uneasy.

No kidding, there was a slight moment where Hyungwon was afraid that Jooheon might cry.

Luckily I.M laughed nervously and said, “I’m sorry, my friend says everything in his head out loud without thinking twice. We are actually here to play games, I think?”

Minhyuk nodded, and the bigger group shuffled as they finally realized who the newcomers are.

As if to verify, the speakers turned on once again.

“Yes! Welcome our two new contestants, Minhyuk and I.M!”

Suddenly, all sorts of “dings” and “beeps” and “buzzs” filled the room. Everyone’s phone received a notification at the same time.

The points are updated: 

 

| 

**Game 01**

| 

**Game 02**

| 

**Others**

| 

**Total**  
  
---|---|---|---|---  
  
_Hyungwon_

| 

_1_

| 

_0_

| 

_0_

| 

_1_  
  
_Jooheon_

| 

_1_

| 

_1_

| 

_0_

| 

_2_  
  
_Shownu_

| 

_1_

| 

_1_

| 

_0_

| 

_2_  
  
_Wonho_

| 

_1_

| 

_0_

| 

_0_

| 

_1_  
  
_Minhyuk_

| 

_-_

| 

_-_

| 

_1_

| 

_1_  
  
_I.M._

| 

_-_

| 

_-_

| 

_1_

| 

_1_  
  
_* **New contestants receive 1 point each as a welcoming gift**_

“Oh hey, that’s the person that told us to come! Thanks for giving us 1 point!” Minhyuk exclaimed, a bit too excited to sound reasonable.

“Glad you’re excited. Let’s play an icebreaker to loosen up the tension. I will explain the rules very soon, it’s called ‘What’s your name?’”

“Ooh sounds fun!” Minhyuk replied. Wonho, Shownu, Jooheon and Hyungwon stared at him weirdly. I.M tried his best to give an apologetic smile. Hyungwon wondered how two such different people managed to become friends.

“Before I tell you the rules, I have an advice for you. You get what you want from playing this game, but it’s ultimately your decisions that create your fate.”


	4. Game 003

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Editor's Note:]
> 
> This chapter is written by me (i.e. the owner of this account)! I made this funnier so I hope you enjoy it as much as the other chapters!

_“You get what you want from playing this game, but it’s ultimately your decisions that create your fate.”_

“Ooohh sounds deep.” Minhyuk commented on the “advice”, earning another embarrassed look from I.M.

“Ok everyone, I’m telling you the rules now, before you go into the next room. You better listen because I won’t repeat it.” Wonho, who was standing next to Hyungwon, let out a dissatisfied groan. “It’s actually really simple. The six of you – Shownu, Wonho, Minhyuk, Hyungwon, Jooheon, and I.M – know each other. At the very least, you know how to address each other. But the thing is, some of the names I said were obviously nicknames. And that won’t be good, because what kind of friends know their nicknames before real names? That’s why this will be an icebreaker game.

“All of you will try and retrieve everyone’s _full names,_ meaning surname is included, in this game. The amount of points you get depends on how many full names you get, and of course your own will not be counted.”

Hyungwon saw Jooheon fidget a little by his side. It seemed like he was going to ask something, but Shownu beat him into it.

“Can’t we just share our names so everyone gets full points?”

It seems impossible for Smiley to _frown_ with that mask covering his face, but something tells Hyungwon Smiley was taken aback by that question.

The said person hesitated a little before answering, “um… well, it’s not _against_ the rules, but… haha, I mean, where’s the fun in that? _So…_ just, just do what I say, okay?”

Shownu’s confused look told Hyungwon that the answer was not satisfactory.

“If you have any questions ask now.” Smiley’s once flustered tone switched back to the ominously cheerful tone almost immediately.

“I have one,” Hyungwon scanned the room and found that Wonho, oddly enough, had his hand up. “Is there a time limit?”

“Good question.” Smiley stopped again after the short comment, as if he had never thought about the answer, and is trying to think of one right now on the spot. “I won’t give you a time limit, I will just stop when I want to.”

_Wow, that’s mean. But that is a very Smiley-thing to do._

No one said anything after that, so Smiley announced that the game is starting, and turned the screen off.

The six contestants were a little lost at first, but a door sprang open out of nowhere, which scared poor Jooheon out of his wits. Hyungwon peeked into it, wondering why the hell Smiley decided this game required them to be escorted into yet another room.

_Anyone with their right minds would not go through the door into that dark abyss…_

Hyungwon’s thoughts were immediately proven wrong, because Wonho walked in, followed by I.M., and then there was Minhyuk, who skipped happily, trying to catch up. Jooheon shot a glance at Hyungwon but scurried away, too.

Suddenly, a hand tapped Hyungwon’s shoulder, causing him to jump ten feet into the air out of surprise.

“My god…” Hyungwon calmed down a little when he realised it was just Shownu. “I have a weak heart, you know?”

“I’m sorry,” Shownu rubbed the nape of his neck embarrassedly, “uh… maybe you should head on first, I just want to go… get another drink first.”

Hyungwon should have found Shownu’s actions weird, but who was he to say when they were only strangers, who met a few hours ago? So, he allowed his legs to bring him away and lead him into the other room.

-

Hyungwon found himself, with the other contestants, in the biggest room so far, with again the same vending machine in the corner, and of course the big screen on one of the walls, too. The yellow mask was already looking down at the guests filing into the room.

After a while, Shownu walked in as well, and closed the door behind him in a way like he was trying to keep something away, preventing it from coming into this room.

It did not go unnoticed for Hyungwon that Shownu did not get his drink that he said he would.

“The new guests obviously wouldn’t know, but if the others haven’t figured out already, you are offered drinks every time before a game.” Smiley started talking without warning.

Of course, the four old contestants did recognize the pattern; it was such a weird “procedure” that it couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.

“But this time, you can get your drink in the middle of the game, I know you human beings don’t drink that much liquid. You haven’t finished your previous drinks yet.” Somehow, Minhyuk and I.M took this as an invitation to go get their free drink.

Meanwhile, something lingered in Hyungwon’s brain, and it’s getting really unsettling.

_“Human beings”? What the hell is he saying? Does that mean he’s not human? And his…species…drink liquid that often?_

That thought sent crawling spiders down Hyungwon’s spine, but luckily time didn’t allow that thought to develop into something even worse than it already was.

”ALRIGHT LET’S START EVERYBODY~~” Minhyuk clapped his hands together and shouted at the top of his lungs. He then kind of ran-jumped towards I.M., giving him a big hug for no obvious reason.

“Hyung… can you quiet down,” I.M. was aware of the eyes staring at them, and Minhyuk was getting a little too close.

“Why, I don’t see any problem Changkyunnie.” Minhyuk leaned even closer to the younger one, if that was even possible. In the end I.M. just heaved a sigh and let his hyung do whatever he wanted.

No one else seemed to have noticed Minhyuk idiotic act to expose his friend’s name so casually like that. No one except for Hyungwon. He hastily went to the back of the room and typed it into his notes. 

_Now, I just have to figure out his surname. It shouldn’t be too hard, he looks quite easy._

_-_  

_Me?_ Jooheon mouthed the words and pointed at himself with confusion painted on his face. 

Shownu nodded subtly and signalled Jooheon to sit next to himself on the couch by the door they came in from.

When Jooheon sat down, Shownu did not start talking, unlike how Jooheon expected he would. He was starting to become uneasy after a while of awkward silence, and shifted in his seat out of habit.

After that foosball tournament, Jooheon was quite confident that they became friends, but Shownu playing on his phone and ignoring him were not exactly the signs that point to this conclusion.

“Jooheon, you can go get a bottle of water now.” Finally the silence was broken when Shownu half whispered to the younger.

Jooheon was not any more bewildered at that weird demand than puzzled as to why Shownu was whispering. To him, there was nothing _secretive_ about getting a water bottle… is there?

Nonetheless, he stood up and headed to the vending machine. The number below the _Fuji_ read 18, and turned to 17 when Jooheon took one away. He started to head back to Shownu when he saw a paper stuck to the bottle.

Somehow, he knew _this_ was secretive.

He took a look around the room - Hyungwon talking to Wonho, Minhyuk clinging, a little too closely in Jooheon’s opinion, onto I.M…. - to make sure no one was paying attention. And no one was. He read the paper, or a note in this matter, as if he was a thief trying to pick a lock before he gets caught.

_My full name is Sohn Hyunwoo. I’m sure it doesn’t take to be a police officer to sense something is really messed up in here. Smiley, Hyungwon, Minhyuk… just everyone could be dangerous. I don’t have enough clues, yet, to find out Smiley’s purpose, nor the way to get out. I trust you, kid. And I will get you out of here. For now, I will try to win the game, because that is most likely the only thing that can benefit us in any way. Don’t trust anyone._

_Not even me._

_But if you do, come talk to me after you read this paper._

Jooheon took a deep breath, only to take notice of his trembling hands. He did not seem to realize how his legs mechanically brought him closer to Shownu, and only came to sense when he sat down on the couch from earlier.

“I trust you. I- I’m just a college student… you’re a police officer, of course I trust you! My… my name is Jooheon. Lee Jooheon.” Without apparent reason, Jooheon stuttered a little, but that was out of the question now.

For the first time since they met, Shownu smiled. “You can call me hyung. Just don’t mention my name in front of anyone until the game ends.”

“Ok, hyung!” His signature eye smile finally returned to where it belongs after some long, difficult drama for a young student like him.

“You don’t have to worry about anything."

Jooheon gave a questioning look to the officer.

“I already have a plan to guarantee our win.”

-

Hyungwon watched as Jooheon went to get another bottle of water - _what’s with the kid and water?_ \- and then started to think of a plan to get Changkyun’s last name. He was about to straight up ask for an alliance when someone tapped his shoulder. 

“Oh, hi, Wonho.” He smiled and placed his phone back into his pockets. “What’s up? I don’t suppose you’re trying to get _my_ full name, are you?”

This made both of them chuckle, and their thoughts wandered back to the first time when they met. During their ‘lunch date’, not only did they become friends, but they also exchanged phone numbers and each of their full names.

For a second or two, the tension from this overwhelming conundrum was lifted, and Hyungwon just smiled at Wonho, who smiled back cutely.

Although they had only been ‘captivated’ for a few hours, Hyungwon already found himself wondering what would have happened if he met Wonho in better circumstances.

_He called me cute… does that mean he likes me? He’s totally my type as well… maybe we would be dating…_

“Hyungwon? Hyungwon, are you listening?” Hyungwon, his face now red as a tomato, was pulled out of his thoughts by Wonho’s raised voice.

“Huh? Oh… uh… I’m sorry, I kinda zoned out, haha.” Laughing nervously, he tried to avoid looking at Wonho’s brown orbs.

“Well, I was just saying that,” the red-haired one sighed before continuing, “ I’m just confused. Confused…and lost. How are we going to do this? I mean, I thought about sharing all our names so we can get all the points, but will it be that easy? We are playing against each other after all…”

Despite being a lawyer, Hyungwon was at a loss of words, seeing this bunny-like human being in front of him acting so vulnerable, and with that slight pout… he felt like he just _had_ to help him. After all, he _was_ somewhat responsible for bring Wonho into this adverse situation.

“I’m not smart _(A/N: ahem, Hyungwon, yes you are, you are a friggin’ lawyer in this fanfic)_ , but I think we should just stick together for now… This whole thing is weird enough, and who knows? Maybe some of us are working for Smiley…” The lawyer stated.

There was a pause before Wonho answered, and Hyungwon was surprised at the answer.

“Honestly, I chose to talk to you first because I like you more than the others. I trust you, and if you think we should stick together, then let’s do that.” He even flashed Hyungwon another of his signature smiles, which caused Hyungwon to heat up instantly.

_He likes me more than others?_ That was the first thing that popped up in Hyungwon’s mind, even though he should be thinking of a suitable reply. He could probably say the same to Wonho, but that wasn’t the point right now.

“But before that,” apparently Wonho wasn’t finished with his speech, “I want to apologise; I lied to you.”

_He likes me but lied to me. He’s nice, I should trust him. But he is also deceiving… Great, now I’m being ambivalent towards him. Whatever, at least he apologised, right? But what if_ he _works for Smiley? I’d be screwed._

Hyungwon stood there like an idiot, until Wonho leaned in closer and spoke into his ears without warning, “My real name is Shin Hoseok. I changed by surname. And I’m older than you, so call me hyung.” He pronounced every syllable of his name clearly and even spelled it out to make sure.

_Oh, so he preferred Shin over Lee. Huh. Interesting._

_Why the fuck am I worrying about these things again! It’s not the time, Chae Hyungwon!_  

It took some time to comprehend. The person in front of Hyungwon, the muscular, attractive guy with a handsome face just leaned in so close his lips were almost touching Hyungwon’s ear. Hyungwon didn’t want to admit it, but Wonho’s hot breath against his ear sent yet another group of spiders down his spine. But this time, it was the _good_ kind of chills.

“I suggest you write it down in your phone or something.” And there was Wonho, standing there talking like nothing happened.

_Well, nothing did happen. Someone was just whispering into your ear, get a grip, Hyungwon._

Embarrassed, Hyungwon pulled out his phone and typed in Wonho’s information. He locked the note, just in case. He was aware how red he became, but luckily Wonho did not seem to notice. Even if he did, he kept it quiet.

Wonho smiled warmly at Hyungwon, and honestly, it was too much for Hyungwon right now. His quick-thinking lawyer brain turned on, and managed to find an excuse.

“Thanks for trusting me… hyung. Smiley’s going to stop the game anytime, I want to get more points, it may benefit us. I’ll try get Changkyun’s last name now, bye!”

When Wonho was left alone, and when no one was watching, he faced the wall and screamed internally.

_He blushed! He blushed when I said I liked him, he blushed when I whispered into his ear… God, if you’re listening, I don’t mind being kidnapped by a weird Masked Psychopath again as long as hot dudes like Hyungwon are provided. Thanks, amen._

_-_

“Ughhh why is no one talking to us?? I was pretty sure that Dimples had a thing for you.” Minhyuk just could not stand still and jumped like a five-year-old to express his frustration.

“What?! How can you even say that? I don’t even _know_ him, hyung!” Changkyun rolled his eyes and continued playing on the ‘Build a Smiley!’ app that came along with ‘Smiles’.

“I can say that ‘cause I SAW that look on his face, alright? Stop drawing squiggly liquorice things and actually pay attention to what’s going on!”

“ _That_ isn’t liquorice, it’s a _line_ that is also the _mouth_ of the _Smiley Face_ that I’m trying to _perfect_ in this game, ok? Ok. So shut up and stop touching me.”

Minhyuk smirked and kept his arms tight around Changkyun’s waist. He even buried his face into the nape of Changkyun’s neck.

The maknae squirmed and half-whispered-half-yelled, “hyung! People are going to misunderstand. The whole point of joining this game is to get me a boyfriend, and it is not helping that you make me look like I’m already taken. Please.”

Minhyuk demurred, but eventually let go, when he was finally aware of the weird stares from the other people in the room that he attracted.

“Finally. Now, I will tell you what I know about these people from _observing_ for the past half hour.” Changkyun straightened out the imaginary creases of his hoodie, looking like a harangue.

 “That Bear standing next to Dimples,” Changkyun took his time to think before continuing, “is _not_ going to come to us, so we should target Walking Chopsticks and Muscular Bunny. Especially Walking Chopsticks… he seems gregarious. Oh look, he’s heading our way.”

Minhyuk was not paying attention, and instead was playing with Changkyun’s hair.

“Hi… uh… you’re Changkyun, right?” Hyungwon smiled politely. “I’m sorry if… I’m disturbing you…” His eyes wandered to Minhyuk’s hands that held strands of Changkyun’s dark blue hair.

The maknae immediately stepped aside to escape Minhyuk’s touchiness. “I’m sorry, no you’re not. How did you know my name, though?”

“Um… well, your bo- your _friend_ here kind of exposed it accidentally.” Hyungwon was quick enough to hold back his words, but honestly, they look like a couple to him.

Changkyun glared at Minhyuk, but in return he only received a cheeky smile. 

The lawyer could sense their tension already, and he did not want them to start love-hating in front of him again, so he immediately broke the silence. 

“Anyways, I was just wondering, do you want to exchange names?”

“No,”

“Yes,”

Minhyuk and Changkyun said at the same time. They looked at each other briefly and turned back to Hyungwon. 

“Yes,”

“No,”

Again they spoke with one voice. Changkyun rolled his eyes and covered Minhyuk’s mouth.

“Sorry, we would love to exchange names. I know we all want the grand prize in the end… but-“

“I’m sorry, what grand prize?” Hyungwon interrupted, his smile belying his desperation to know the truth.

“Didn’t Smiley tell you?” Changkyun let go of Minhyuk’s mouth, his curiosity overcoming his confusion.

“I’m sure you all came here because Smiley said he would get you anything you wanted, right? Thing is, only the person with the most points can get what he wants in the end.”

“You idiot! Why did you tell him?!” Minhyuk shouted, gaining attention from everyone in the room again.

Hyungwon tried telling himself that this was fake; maybe this was all Smiley’s plan to get the game going. But deep inside, he knows Changkyun is veracious. If only one person could win…

Guilt rushed through his system. He pulled three people into this mess. Now only one person gets to benefit from this horrendous bullshit.

“Everyone deserves to know this! It’s not a competition if it isn’t fair!” Changkyun hissed at his hyung. Then he turned to Hyungwon again.

“I apologise for that… I know it’s been hard for everyone… Look, I’ll tell you my full name. It’s Im Changkyun. This is just the second game and there’s more coming. You’ll need the points.”

Hyungwon was still overwhelmed because of the new discovery, but he managed to note down the surname mentally. _Of course it was a competition, I should’ve known better than to trust a ‘Smiley’…_

When Hyungwon left, Minhyuk sighed.

“I’m sorry for being so rude earlier, hyung… and being so impulsive as well.” Changkyun returned to his usual dongsaeng vibe and apologised politely. 

“Hey what are you talking about? You know I can never stay mad at you… You also know very well how much I _love_ you!” Minhyuk smiled and ruffled Changkyun’s hair.

Somehow, Changkyun knew it was not a joke when Minhyuk said he loved him.

And that made him uneasy.

-

When Smiley shouted through the full-volume speakers suddenly, the 6 contestants no longer found it as an aberration. In fact, most of them were relieved. 

“Time’s up everyone! I repeat, the time is up! No one talks until I say so.” Smiley took a small pause to make sure everyone stays quiet. And sure enough, no one dared to disobey.

“Great! You all follow instructions so well! May you all line up single file in front of the yellow door, please.” The cheerful tone came back shortly. 

Everyone scavenged the room for a yellow door, but there were none. Smiley saw what was happening - through the creepy surveillance cameras - and found out it was his fault. 

“Hahaha… sorry guys, I forgot to press the button…” Everyone watched the mask disappear from the screen, and heard some doors being opened, some buttons being pressed. Hyungwon even made out some swear words coming from Smiley.

Approximately two seconds later, a bookshelf that was once standing in the corner started to descend into a hole on the floor. Jooheon jumped in surprise and hid behind Shownu. Otherwise, no one else made any noise.

Smiley watched the mechanism creek and whine, unwillingly pulling the bookshelf down. “JEEEEZ, how _long_ does this _thing_ take?!” 

Two minutes later, the yellow door was revealed. They were asked to line up and each of them went in to record the number of full names each of them received.

Minhyuk was in there for the longest time, _who knows why,_ but ten minutes later the results were announced.

“Congratulations to the winner- oops, I meant _winners…_ Shownu and Jooheon!”


	5. Game 004

_Approximately twenty minutes ago…_

 

“I already have a plan to guarantee our win.” Shownu said. 

“Really?” Jooheon widened his eyes, revealing his round, chocolate-brown orbs. 

“When Hyungwon recruited me, he dropped one of his business cards on the floor- wait a minute,” Shownu fished his wallet out and took out a professional-looking card with tiny words on it.

 

_**Chae Hyungwon** _

_**Lawyer** _

_**Seoul Headquarters** _

2-11, Yongsandong 5(o)-ga, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

_**Tel**_ +82 032-5064-1202

_**Mobile**_ +82 037-7082-5016

_**Email**_ [chaeturtle@shqlawfirm.com.kr](mailto:chaeturtle@shqlawfirm.com.kr)

(A/N: all of the above are fake, and the address probably doesn’t make sense)

 

Whilst Jooheon was examining the card, Shownu continued, “so now we have his full name. As for his friend with the red hair, I have no idea whatsoever.”

“How about Minhyuk?”

“I would never ever forget him.” Shownu sighed, but in a happy way. “When I was on duty one day, he came running into the station in such a panic that he slammed into the glass doors, passing out as well. A few police officers had to help him with first aid, and after he woke up we asked him whether he had a case to file, but he forgot why he came in the first place.”

Jooheon giggled a little at Shownu’s story as he watched Minhyuk back hug I.M. in the distance.

“Anyways, there were still documents to fill in, so we got his full name, Lee Minhyuk. Now each of us will have 3 points, and this pretty much guarantees our win if we keep our names a secret.”

I.M. and Minhyuk were now bickering, and Jooheon could not help but find the maknae’s face familiar.

He squinted his eyes and strained to recall where he saw that face before.

“OH!” Once his memory caught up with him, Jooheon jumped up from the couch and exclaimed.

“Jesus, what was that for?” Even Shownu got scared, and he tried to ignore the eyes pointing at their direction.

“Sorry, hyung. I suddenly remembered where I saw I.M. before.”

“You know him?”

“Yes! Actually, not really… we just study in the same university, and I saw him a few times.” Jooheon laughed nervously. “Somehow I know his name, it’s Im Changkyun.”

“Hmmm that’s nice. Now we are sure to win.” Shownu had his police notebook out, but he was clever enough to cover the logo so his identity remains a secret to the others. He was also clever enough to notice the slight blush on Jooheon’s face at the mention of Changkyun. 

“So… what do we do now?” Jooheon asked after Shownu finished writing down notes.

“We wait.” 

-

_The Present…_

“Congratulations to the winner- oops, I meant winners… Shownu and Jooheon! They are only one point away from gaining full marks!”

Everyone, no doubt, was a little disappointed at losing, but something that bothered Hyungwon more was how they managed to know all their names.

_They stuck with each other the whole time, and we don’t use full names to address each other… how did they figure out my surname?_

“Now, before we move on to the next game, there are some… matters for me to attend to, so, please take a break, and check out the current points.” Smiley announced, (with a smile), and switched the screens off.

“I hope the next game will be more fun than this.” Minhyuk was the only one who spoke, and he was, as always, overly excited. However, almost everyone was staring at their phones at the updated scores, too busy to even glance at Minhyuk.

 

 

| 

**Game 001**

| 

**Game 002**

| 

**Game 003**

| 

**Others**

| 

**Total**  
  
---|---|---|---|---|---  
  
_Hyungwon_

| 

_1_

| 

_0_

| 

_2_

| 

_0_

| 

_3_  
  
_Jooheon_

| 

_1_

| 

_1_

| 

_6_

| 

_0_

| 

_8_  
  
_Shownu_

| 

_1_

| 

_1_

| 

_6_

| 

_0_

| 

_8_  
  
_Wonho_

| 

_1_

| 

_0_

| 

_2_

| 

_0_

| 

_3_  
  
_Minhyuk_

| 

_-_

| 

_-_

| 

_2_

| 

_1_

| 

_3_  
  
_I.M._

| 

_-_

| 

_-_

| 

_2_

| 

_1_

| 

_3_  
  
  
- 

Shownu stood, speechless.

He stared at the screen, speechless.

Was astonished a good enough word? Bewildered, maybe? Perhaps overwhelmed would be better. Astounded, stunned, dumbfounded… there were a lot of words that could describe his feelings.

There are 171,476 words in the English dictionary, so he’d thought at least one of them would be suitable. But sometimes one’s thoughts are far from the truth, especially from the moment Hyungwon went up to him one Saturday afternoon.

Everything changed since then.

So now words meant nothing to him.

Nothing could possibly explain this situation, describe this feeling. 

It was as if someone asked you to rate the other out of 10, and you wanted to say 11, or even 100. It wasn’t possible, and it wouldn’t have made sense. 10 was the given range, and 100 is clearly above that limit. The number 100 is incomprehensible.

So, to put it short, nothing made sense. It was out of his comprehension.

He didn’t know what he felt.

And that was exactly how Shownu felt.

Next to him, Jooheon was more scared and nervous than surprised.

Farther to the right, Hyungwon was staring, frozen just like Shownu was, but his level of surprise was nowhere near Shownu’s. Wonho was next to him, hand on the taller’s shoulder, caressing gently in an attempt to calm his nerves. 

Somewhere else in the room, Minhyuk and Changkyun were already discussing, Minhyuk blabbering everything that came to his mind, and the younger one trying desperately to calm his friend down.

There were gasps, mumbling, and strings of curse words. But Shownu heard nothing.

It was almost as if he was drunk, on wine or on drugs, surroundings blurred like the background when you use portrait mode on an iPhone camera. Only the background is moving now, swirling like someone is mixing it with a spoon, when in fact it was as simple as people moving in the background. All sounds were disregarded, brain unable to process and being discarded as meaningless mumbles, mistaken as useless background noises. 

Nothing made sense to him. His brain wasn’t able to filter anything into things that made sense.

Nothing, but that one word.

“…K-Kihyun?” Shownu almost jumped.

“Did he say his name was Kihyun? I forgot.”

And that was enough to send the world spinning. Nothing made sense. Shownu felt like he was going to fall if he didn’t grab onto something at that moment. So that was exactly what he did.

He grabbed the thing nearest to him, which happened to be Jooheon’s arm. This time, Jooheon jumped. He even let out a surprised shriek. 

“Shownu-hyung? Are you ok? Don’t scare me like that!” Jooheon took Shownu’s hand and gently loosened its grasp, while raising his other hand and settling it on Shownu’s shoulder. 

_Yea I’m ok._ Was what Shownu wanted to say, but nothing came out of his mouth.

Jooheon saw Shownu’s opened mouth and sighed, “You looked…lost back there. Like your brain shut down, and you can’t control legs, and that’s why you’re swaying, like you’re about to fall…” Jooheon trailed off, aware that he was just making things scarier for both Shownu and himself. He cleared his thoughts and said instead, “Are you sure you’re ok?”

_Yea I’m ok, just…shocked about this sudden…event._ His brain pitied him and gave Shownu his voice back so he was able to voice out his answer. 

Jooheon nodded slowly after hearing the answer, looking at Shownu with worried eyes. He wasn’t convinced, and Shownu saw that, so he added, “Really, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. You looked pretty shocked too, so it’s only right if I reacted like a normal human.” 

“Ok…but, I mean, you were all calm and unfazed back then. With the note in the water bottle I mean. You seemed like you knew what to do, but now, now you’re surprised? You looked like you have no idea what to do next, and even now your face tell me something’s wrong. Like you’re lost and worried.” Jooheon sighed again. “I mean, are you even listening?” He raised his hand and waved it in front of Shownu’s face, trying to bring those eyes back into focus. 

Shownu grabbed Joohoen’s hand and removed it from his view to show that he was indeed listening.

“Yes, his name is Kihyun.” Jooheon blinked twice, not expecting a sudden change in topic.

“Wait, so you actually listened to the announcement? But you were…you looked like your mind was in Mars or something!”

“Yes I did, and you were shocked too, so how would you know if my mind wandered off?” Shownu blurted out before he could stop himself.

No, you didn’t listen to a word Shownu. You zoned out the moment you saw him. You know his name because you knew him. Personally.

Jooheon stayed silent, knowing Shownu had a point.

It was obvious that both of them tried to avoid looking at the screen, heads turned slightly and eyes darting around looking for something else, something less scary, to settle on. After a while Shownu gave up and closed his eyes, convincing himself that nothing was real as long as he couldn’t see it. 

However, this method clearly didn’t work well, because Shownu knew clearly, that what happened, has already happened, and nothing could change it.

Also, he had forgotten about his ears. He couldn’t close his ears. And it didn’t help that the speakers were turned on again.

“So! Have you guys decided yet?” Every time Smiley started talking, everyone else went silent immediately, and it was no different this time. It was like an unspoken rule. Or maybe that was just how it was.

“No? Not yet? Hmmm….Shownu? What do you think? Give us some feedback.”

Those words hit Shownu like rocks. And not just ordinary rocks, either. They were red hot, burning boulders that came flying towards him, lighting him on fire and igniting the anger in him. He felt eyes staring, but he didn’t care. He stared back harder.

Jooheon caught his ice-cold stare and returned it with a worried look. Shownu softened up a bit in front of the young kid, but the hate for Smiley didn’t go away. Once it started, it stays. 

He knew he didn’t need to, that he could just ignore it like he ignored people’s stares, but Shownu wanted answers. You should’ve listened instead of staring into nothingness. It was too late to hate himself anyways, so Shownu thought of a reply. Through gritted teeth he forced out, “Who’s that person on the screen?”

_Kihyun. Yoo Kihyun._

“Have you forgotten already?” Smiley laughed. It sounded like hyenas laughing, which wasn’t a pleasant sound. “Fine, I will tell you again. I realised we would need more contestants for the upcoming games, so I found one myself while you were busy with the previous games. And then I thought it wouldn’t be fair if I just added him without your permission, so now I’m giving you the choice whether to invite him or not. See, I’m even letting you see what he looks like, so you can choose better.” 

_Are you kidding? Dragging him into this bullshit? No thank you._  

Shownu was about to protest, but someone was faster.

“You don’t have to think anymore Shownu, let me answer for you. No, we’re not going to invite this person. One more contestant means one more competitor, which means one more person to go against, which means less chance of winning. So no thank you!” Shownu turned around. Of course it was Minhyuk. Somehow he managed to process everything and think of something to say when everyone else was still drowning in the new information.

Shownu relaxed a bit, glad that someone else agreed with him. He was going to add a vote to “no” when someone else spoke. Why is he always one second slower than everyone?

“Are you sure?” The voice came from the speakers. “You know, I spent a long time looking for the suitable contestant, and I would be fairly disappointed if you denied just like that.”

Now Shownu really wanted to punch something. If Smiley had spent so much time looking for a contestant and had already decided that he wanted him in, why would he even let them choose?

Apparently Hyungwon shared his thoughts, and voiced it out. “What? Why would you let us choose then, if you’ve already decided? Also, are you spying on this person? Why the fuck do you have this live footage of him cooking in his home? Do you have hidden cameras?” 

Hyungwon’s voice had gotten increasingly louder with each question, but something tells Shownu he was just trying to drown away his fear with fake anger and noise.

As if the noise did make an impact, the screen flickered and it went static for a moment, before flickering back on again. The screen showed a male in his early adulthood, sitting down and eating. But Shownu never knew what he had cooked for his dinner because his eyes were forced to look away. He had to, or else he would’ve lost it.

Hyungwon was still huffing with his superficial anger, probably trying to convince himself that he was mad.

The room was quiet and for a moment all you could hear was the uneven breathing off the six contestants, most of them looking at their feet, confused, anxious, nonplussed.

Only Minhyuk seemed okay, even a bit annoyed. Before Changkyun —the only person that could stop him from saying something hurtful and insulting — could say anything, Minhyuk broke the silence.

“Jeez it’s obvious that the Smiley guy won’t answer our stupid questions. Let’s just decide already! Who cares if he gets disappointed if we deny his stupid offer? I just want to win this game and win something.”

Wonho was the first to defend. “You can’t say that! Do you even know what he did to Hyungwon? You weren’t even here from the beginning for gods sake. Stop bullshitting if you don’t don’t know anything!” As insignificant as it sounds, the first thing that came into Shownu’s mind was that Wonho was defending for Hyungwon and not himself.

Hyungwon shot Wonho a quick smile, so short-lasting that only Wonho caught it. Shownu didn’t see whether Wonho returned it. But at the back of his mind he knew Wonho did.

Jooheon decided to speak up too, having gained confidence from the first rebuttal.

“Wonho-hyung’s right. You know nothing. You have no right to say that when you know nothing. In fact, you have no right to say anything. And you are telling me you just want to win this game?! Have you realised, maybe even the slightest bit, that we are practically kidnapped and forced to play weird games?” Shownu was surprised that Jooheon, no more than a young adult, can sound so contemptuous. 

And since even the youngest one here, excluding Changkyun who was technically on Minhyuk’s side, was opposing, Shownu decided to add on to it.

“Minhyuk,” Shownu said, trying to sound affable. “Hyungwon could’ve died. Honestly, we could’ve all died. Smiley is crazy as far as I know. No normal person would do this. And while inviting another person to join this game would be putting another man’s life on risk, I’m pretty sure everyone here agrees that it would be even more dangerous to leave that person alone with a disappointed, even angry, Smiley. Am I right?”

Shownu let out a sigh of relief, silently to himself, that he didn’t accidentally reveal Kihyun’s name. That would’ve been no good.

_Well you must be glad you’re a police officer that knows how to deal with situations more or less like this one._

And sure, Shownu was glad, glad that he didn’t expose his secret, but he wasn’t sure if his career mattered anymore. Would Minhyuk listen if he revealed his occupation? Probably not.

Changkyun looked like a lost puppy next to Minhyuk, being stared at by five other people who probably presumed he shared Minhyuk’s intentions. And all he did was stand next to his friend.

“U-um…sorry everyone, I’m sure Minhyuk-hyung didn’t want to say it that way. He’s just a bit frustrated and impulsive…sorry.” Shownu felt sorry for him, seeing how he gave a bow of apology for something he didn’t do.

Minhyuk refused to give in, and tried to looked indifferent about his friend apologising for him. Minhyuk crossed his arms and asserted.

“Fine, you got a point. I wasn’t here and apparently something bad happened. But how do I know you’re not just lying? You could be teaming up and making up a story for all I know. Even if it’s true, you can’t guarantee that person is in danger like Hyungwon was. How can you know for sure that Smiley would do something bad again this time?”

Shownu almost forgot about the possible dangers coming for Kihyun, his mind having clouded by his annoyance towards Minhyuk.

As if mind-reading was an actual thing, Smiley chose this exact moment to give a reminder. Not a good one either.

“I can answer your question this time! You think it’s stupid, but this one isn’t.” Smiley let out a mirthless laugh, which sounded deep and hoarse through the speakers. “You’re right, you can’t guarantee if I’d do something ‘bad’ again. But I can. And this time I’m going to be completely honest. I will get really disappointed if you don’t accept my offer. And when I get disappointed, I need something to vent my anger on.”

Shownu felt a sudden lump in his throat. It choked him and he wanted to vomit it out. 

“Since you will be playing the next game, I guess I can’t just shout at you and complain. No, because that would disturb your game wouldn’t it? Look at the screen,” Smiley waited for everyone to do as they were told, but Shownu didn’t look. He couldn’t bring himself to.

But it didn’t matter, because his ears were available. 

“Oh look, he’s resting on the couch, watching TV. I guess he’s free then. I wouldn’t be interrupting him. I can complain to him while you guys play.”

Something exploded in his chest, which released a string of curse words and a bunch of other insults. Shownu was sure that he would’ve revealed everything there and then, if those words hadn’t got stuck in his throat.

So instead he coughed violently, getting rid of his thoughts in the form of spit and germs. 

“Hyung! Are you ok?” Shownu Jooheon’s hand on his back, patting it lightly.

Of course he wasn’t ok.

Kihyun’s in danger, he knew it from the beginning, the moment his face appeared on the screen. He wanted to say something. He needed to.

All Shownu managed was a small nod and a forced smile. 

Jooheon wasn’t convinced, but he needed to keep asking, anxiety forcing him to forget about his friend’s well being, even if it’s only for a short while.

“H-hyung…does that mean that person is in d-danger?” Jooheon gulped so loud Shownu heard it. “Smiley’s gonna do something, isn’t he?” Jooheon had asked him with a lowered voice, trusting only him.

And Shownu answered, but not only to Jooheon.

“Is this enough evidence? Do you believe us now? Do you finally get what’s going on?” Shownu tried to sound calm and steady, he didn’t like hating someone, and he definitely didn’t want someone to hate himself. And sounding angry and impetuous would just make him sound suspicious. He couldn’t let anyone find out. 

“Answer me, Minhyuk.” At this point Shownu had to grit his teeth to swallow his anger. 

Maybe Shownu wasn’t careful enough, or maybe Minhyuk was bright. He didn’t know, but the worse had happened. So it doesn’t matter which one was right.

“Wait a second…are you scared?” Minhyuk tilted his head as if he was confused. His arms were uncrossed and fell down on his sides. He walked closer and tried to look like he’s worried, but Shownu saw it in his eyes. Minhyuk was teasing him.

“Why are you scared? That person in the screen, he’s just a stranger, who cares if he gets shouted at? Unless… he isn't a stranger.” Minhyuk smirked, a perfect match with his degrading tone. 

Shownu couldn’t do anything but stare. There was nothing else to say, his only choice was to say the truth. But he didn’t. At least not yet. 

No, you’re not going to say it unless you absolutely have to. Shownu told himself that over and over again in his head, Minhyuk standing in front of him and everyone else staring at them with puzzled expressions.

“You’re not replying, and to me that means silently agreeing.” Minhyuk raised his hand and stabbed his finger on Shownu’s chest. “ You do know him don’t you? Who is he? Your boyfriend?”

A wave of fear washed over Shownu, ruining his poker face, washing away his disguise. Shownu knew, without a mirror, that he looked scared.

Minhyuk’s lips curled up even further, amused to be in control.

“Hey-“ Minhyuk was dragged sideways by a small figure.

“What the hell? Get off me Changkyun!” Changkyun looked at Shownu, apologetic eyes overspilling with worry. He was holding Minhyuk in his arms, tightening his grip every time Minhyuk tried escaping.

Changkyun mouthed “sorry” to Shownu, who smiled in return. Changkyun let go of Minhyuk, but remained a firm grip on his friends wrist.

“Hey! Is that how you treat your hyung?!” Minhyuk tried loosening Changkyun’s iron-steel grip, but failed to pry even one finger off. Changkyun was surprisingly strong. 

“Are you serious Minhyuk?” Changkyun ignored the question, not even caring enough to use honorifics anymore. “I should’ve stopped you earlier, but I was just too shocked. How could you say that? Are you telling me you are going to leave someone alone in danger?! You don’t get it do you? Ugh you know what, it’s no use talking if you don’t get it.” Changkyun dropped Minhyuk’s wrist and huffed in anger. 

“I think we should all calm down. Minhyuk’s probably just feeling antsy, like we all are. When I’m agitated, I get moody and say mean things unintentionally, too. So I’m sure he doesn’t mean it.” At least someone was still nice: Wonho’s calmness in this situation surprised everyone.

“Well he said it himself, so he must have at least thought about it. And that doesn't make things better.” Changkyun replied. This time Wonho stayed silent, deciding that he wouldn’t be able to keep in his temper if he had said something.

Shownu didn’t expect anything to work at this point. Minhyuk was being ridiculous, he had seen people like this. Frankly, there’s nothing he could do.

Well there was one thing, and that was to hope Kihyun would be fine. Shownu started to tell himself that Kihyun was scary despite his small figure, that Kihyun actually bites if he’s angry, that he was always like the mom. And as far as Shownu knows, moms always know what to do.

He was so busy reassuring himself that he didn’t notice Minhyuk whispering to Changkyun and pulling Changkyun into an embrace. 

All he saw was Minhyuk’s regretful face. Changkyun must be a really good friend to be able to that. To change Minhyuk in a matter of seconds.

“Ok, so I guess you will accept my offer! Thank you so much! I will invite him in now.”

“Wait, now? Isn’t that guy in his home? How will he-“ Hyungwon never got to finish his sentence because the door opened with a creak. 

A peach haired male entered the room. 

He was holding his head and muttering something about being dizzy. When he removed his hand his eyes scanned the room, nodding politely and smiling. Shownu assumed, from Kihyun’s calm face, that Kihyun already knew what was going on.

And then, of course, the inevitable happened. 

Kihyun’s eyes landed on Shownu, and in one blink of an eye all that calmness was washed away and replaced with utter shock.

“Shownu-hyung? What the hell are you doing here?” Shownu acted ignorant, replying with a shrug and a smile that probably came out awkward.

He almost chuckled at that thought. He was always awkward in front of him. In front of Kihyun. In front of… _his boyfriend._


	6. Game 004 (2)

_“_ Shownu-hyung? Why the hell are you here? _”_

Kihyun looked really confused, but Shownu wasn _’_ t ready to answer that question, not in front of everyone.

_“_ Ha! I knew you guys knew each other! _”_ Minhyuk pointed out excitedly, before Changkyun could stop him.

_“_ Shut up, whoever you are. _”_ Kihyun closed his eyes and breathed in, hands clenched into fists, clearly annoyed with Minhyuk. He felt the headache slowly seeping back in. _“_ It _’_ s none of your business. _”_ Kihyun _’_ s stern voice seemed to have worked effectively, as Minhyuk _’_ s smile faded away immediately and even backed away. A smart move in Shownu _’_ s opinion.

_“_ Why are you here. _”_ Kihyun repeated, voice devoid of emotion. It didn _’_ t even sound like a question, as if he refused to put any effort into making one.

Shownu stood in front of his ex-boyfriend, still equally attracted by Kihyun _’_ s good looks as he had less than a year ago, before they broke up. He was surprised at the hair color change, but the peach, orangey color just made everything look better. Shownu didn _’_ t know what to say, still aware of the eyes looking at them. So for now he just allowed himself to admire the beautiful person in front of him, cherishing every moment he had. To Shownu, it seemed hardly a coincidence that Kihyun happened to be the chosen contestant, but now, just for now, he was willing to take this as a miracle, as pure luck.

_“_ Answer my fucking question. _”_ Kihyun said, this time anger and annoyance apparent in those words. Even though he had been the one who decided to break up, Shownu couldn _’_ t help but to feel hurt by those words. Kihyun was never this mean to him.

Suddenly, the speakers were turned on and Smiley started talking, timing in favor to Shownu. 

_“_ Ok! I hope you guys are ready, because I certainly am! Move to the next room please, for the next game! Oh and by the way, our new contestant gets a point too. Don _’_ t worry, I _’_ m sure you can catch up! _”_ Kihyun groaned and rolled his eyes, rubbing his temples furiously, trying to fight away his headache but to no avail.

A door nearby flung open and startled Jooheon, who was standing the closest to it. Jooheon flushed in embarrassment when he heard Changkyun laugh, having seen Jooheon _’_ s scared reaction. _“_ Hey, who are you laughing at? _”_ Jooheon acted angry, but that just made Changkyun laugh even harder.

Shownu saw their amused faces, which were contrasting with his own distressed one. Suddenly he wished he were a young kid too. He thought it _’_ d be easier to smile, with nothing to worry about. While the others walk through the door, Shownu stayed in his place. Kihyun didn _’_ t have to say anything for him to know they would be staying here for a while. He hoped it was just to solve some problems. 

Hyungwon was the last to leave, but instead of walking towards the door he went to Kihyun and whispered something to his ear. Shownu saw his lips move like a muted video.

Hyungwon closed the door behind him, leaving Shownu and Kihyun alone. 

_“_ Uh _…”_ Shownu decided quickly that it would be best to answer Kihyun _’_ s question. _“_ I _’_ m also a contestant. That _’_ s why I _’_ m here. Hyungwon, the one who whispered to you just now, he invited me to play. We met just this morning. _”_ Shownu wasn _’_ t sure what was the point of the last part; he was just trying to add as much relevant information as possible. For some reason he thought saying more will somehow stop Kihyun from asking more questions.

For a moment Kihyun just stared at Shownu without saying anything. Those dark brown orbs were doing crazy things to Shownu _’_ s mind, but at the same time something in those eyes forced him to stare back. He couldn _’_ t look away even if he wanted to. 

Shownu thought, hoped, that Kihyun _’_ s silence meant that he was satisfied with the answer. _“_ Um, so can we- _”_

_“_ You brought me here. _”_ Kihyun interrupted coldly. Again, his words were emotionless. Shownu _’_ s heart dropped. He _’_ d rather Kihyun get angry and shout at him, because that would at least mean Kihyun cared enough to put some effort to express his feelings. Now it was like Shownu didn _’_ t deserve to know Kihyun _’_ s feelings at all. As if Kihyun didn _’_ t care. As if Shownu wasn _’_ t worth it.

As if Shownu was nothing to him.

_Just answer him Shownu, he has the right to be like that. You were cold to him. You dumped him. You broke his heart._

_“_ It wasn _’_ t all me. I convinced them to let you play. _”_ Shownu knew he deserved this cold treatment, but the more he thought about it the more he realized how stupid he was to break up with Kihyun. The more he realized he was just impulsive, that he didn _’_ t think properly before acting. The more he realized how much he liked Kihyun still.

_“_ Why? _”_ Kihyun said quietly. It barely sounded like a word, like he had to force it out his mouth.

Shownu raised his eyebrows, struggling to comprehend. What didn _’_ t Kihyun understand? It occurred to Shownu that maybe Kihyun wasn _’_ t aware of Smiley being a psychopath. He had to be considerate, because the last thing they needed was another person getting angry and irritated.

_“_ Maybe you didn _’_ t know Kihyun, but Smiley, the person in the speakers, is crazy. _”_ Shownu didn _’_ t even care if he was scaring Kihyun, he was too tired to think of another way to explain. The truth seemed to be the easiest. _“_ He told us that he would do something bad to you if we don _’_ t invite you to play. I was protecting you. _”_

_“_ What? What are you - ah shit _…”_ Kihyun _’_ s hands flew up to his head and bent down, body curling up in pain. Shownu clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms, rolling his toes inside his shoes, willing himself not to go over and help. He knew he wouldn _’_ t be able to control himself if he did.

But he couldn _’_ t help it, the voice in his mind told himself it was what everyone else would and should do, so he asked, _“_ Are you ok? _”_ Immediately afterwards his guilty conscience kicked in, telling himself things he _’_ d rather not hear.

_What do you think, Shownu? Kihyun is literally on the floor because of the immense pain in his head. Do you think he’s ok? He was already confused enough that he was brought here against his will, and now he has to deal with the person that broke his heart.  
_

_Do you think he’s ok?_

He felt bad. Really bad. Nothing could change the fact that he was the main reason Kihyun was right in front of him in the first place. He should probably apologize, immediately, but he had no idea where and how to start. He didn’t know how to show the remorse growing inside his heart.

Kihyun recovered a bit and let out a bitter chuckle. _“_ Fuck, Shownu-hyung, are you that stupid? I think even a blind person would know I _’_ m not ok. _”_ Shownu opened his mouth to say sorry, but Kihyun didn _’_ t let him.

_“_ You know what hyung? _”_ Kihyun stood up, but looked away to the side. _“_ I was at home scrolling through the selfies we took, before I came here. I had a headache, it hurt a lot. And all of a sudden, I started crying. Maybe my head hurt too much. I don _’_ t know. _”_ Kihyun let out another mirthless laugh. _“_ I don _’_ t even know why I _’_ m tell you this. Do you know? _”_

Shownu knew. _Because you still like me, and you want me to know. I’m sorry for breaking up. I still like you too, I really do._ Shownu felt his heart breaking apart hearing Kihyun _’_ s words. He wanted to make things better by saying what he thought. But what was the point? It wasn _’_ t that easy. Shownu knew that, because if it were that easy, all the couples in the world would have a happy ending.

Besides, it wasn _’_ t the time to say those things. To Shownu, it didn _’_ t seem like the correct time to say anything at all.

_“_ Are you seriously not going to say anything? _”_ Kihyun turned back and looked at Shownu. But even then they weren _’_ t looking at each other _’_ s eyes. _“_ God, why are you always so quiet? _”_ Shownu wasn _’_ t sure why Kihyun said that; maybe it was easier than to cope with silence. But that didn _’_ t help with his confusion. He still has no idea what to say.

Kihyun must have realized it, because he started to talk again. _“_ Ok you know what, I _’_ m just going to be straightforward. _”_ Kihyun stopped, inhaled deeply, and looked down to the floor. Shownu swore he heard sniffs; it was like someone stabbed his heart. He saw Kihyun _’_ s figure going up and down, it was obvious that Kihyun was fighting back tears. Kihyun must _’_ ve had trouble talking, because he stayed silent for what seemed like eternity. The worse thing is, Shownu didn _’_ t know whether to say something to break the silence. Apologize maybe. Would that be a good idea? Shownu didn _’_ t know. He never seemed to know. When to say and what to say. He was awkward like that.

Finally Shownu heard Kihyun say, barely a whisper, _“_ Hyung _…_ it hurts. It hurts so much, you know? _”_ Shownu almost missed the words, but after hearing it he _’_ d rather go deaf.

_Yes, I know. But I had no choice. “_ I _’_ m sorry, I truly am sorry. _”_ Shownu could go on explaining, but he knew it wouldn _’_ t make a difference. Nothing made a difference since the moment they broke up.

_“_ Really? Then tell me, why did you bring me here? _”_ Shownu frowned, wondering why Kihyun asked that question again.

_“_ I told you, because Smiley was going to- _”_

_“_ Cut that bullshit. _”_ What had intended to sound angry came out weak and powerless. The outburst startled Shownu, but he was more angry than hurt.

_“_ Why would you say that? _”_ Shownu tried to sound offended, because that was the only other option. It _’_ s either anger or sadness, and Shownu refused to get into a fight, so the second option had its appeal.

_“_ Why would I say that? _Why_? Are you kidding me? _”_ He tried to push it down, conceal it, but Shownu felt his anger growing. He didn _’_ t have the resources to deal with Kihyun _’_ s hysterical behavior. Shownu didn _’_ t understand how Kihyun could turn from sad to angry so quickly. Everything seemed ridiculous and out of hand.

Kihyun looked up, eyes slightly red. So he was crying. Shownu felt nothing when he saw the swollen eyes. _“_ Sure, maybe someone will hurt me if you _’_ d let me stay at home, but I know that isn _’_ t the only reason okay? _”_ Shownu had no idea what Kihyun was saying. It made no sense to him. He had no choice but to keep listening. _“_ You said you were sorry. You said you were sorry, didn _’_ t you? Then tell me, if you _are_ sorry, tell me why the hell did you agree to bring _me_ here? You _knew_ it was going to be me, so why did you agree? Fuck, you _’_ re driving me crazy, just tell me! _”_

That was it; Shownu couldn _’_ t take this anymore.

_“I’m_ driving you crazy? _”_ He pointed to himself and walked closer to Kihyun. _“_ So you _’_ re telling me _I’m_ the one blurting out nonsense and expecting someone else to understand. I was just trying to protect you! I even apologized, but now I don _’_ t even know what I apologized for anymore! What the fuck do you want? _”_ Shownu instantly hated himself for shouting, but he couldn _’_ t keep it in anymore. It wasn _’_ t his fault that Kihyun was put into danger and the only way to save him was to bring him here. It wasn _’_ t his fault that bringing Kihyun here meant forcing him to see his ex-boyfriend and bringing back sad memories. It wasn _’_ t his fault that Hyungwon had stumbled upon him this morning and started all this chaos.

Nothing was his fault, but Kihyun made it sound like it was.

_“_ I want you out of my face- _”_ Kihyun stopped mid-sentence, surprised at his own words. He covered his mouth with both of his hands and stepped back, shaking his head in the process.

There were no words, but Shownu got it anyways. Kihyun wanted to apologize. But now, sorry was just a meaningless word.

_“_ Okay, fine. I guess we _’_ re even then. We both said sorry and apparently both of us think the other didn _’_ t mean it. _”_ Shownu gave up on arguing. He was tired, and he knew Kihyun probably still had a terrible headache. He told himself he only cared about Kihyun _’_ s well being because he was a nice, considerate person, nothing else.

Shownu turned around and walked towards the door, stopping right in front of it.

_“_ I _’_ m sorry I can _’_ t get out of your face. Seems like we are stuck together till this thing ends. _”_

Somehow, Kihyun knew that Shownu had meant it this time.

He stood there, and saw as the door close behind Shownu.

It was then that he finally let himself cry.

He didn’t know how long he’d been crying, but he made sure to wait until he was sure his eyes weren’t swollen enough to be visible. When he was finally motivated enough to enter the next room, he was relieved that no one found out he was crying. Or maybe the door was not sound proof and everyone heard everything and just didn’t say anything.

In the middle of the room was a round table, seven chairs surrounding it, each with an iPad-tablet thing placed in front of them. Hyungwon was sitting with Wonho, Minhyuk with Changkyun, and Shownu must have joined Jooheon, because they were sitting together as well 

Kihyun took the last vacant seat, and he realized, dishearteningly, that the only positive thing he could think of was that Shownu sat to the right of Jooheon so he wouldn’t have to sit with him.

Turned out, the iPad-thing in front of them wasn’t an iPad, because Kihyun’s one lying in his home somewhere certainly had more than two apps. The one in front of him had only two icons in the middle of the screen, one of them was the “Smiley” app he was told to install on his phone. The other one was “ _Geometry Dash”,_ which explained the music coming from opposite of Kihyun, where Jooheon and Changkyun was seated.

_K_ ihyun didn’t know what to expect, but he definitely didn’t think everyone would stay quiet about his sudden disappearance with Shownu. It wasn’t like it mattered anyways, because Kihyun preferred it this way, when no one was asking questions he had no answers to.

Eventually Kihyun realized that the soundtracks from Geometry Dash stopped, and everyone was staring at their tablets. So Kihyun looked down and saw the notification, signifying the start of the game. He pressed the button that came with the pop-up and he was directed to the “Smiley” app. He couldn’t stop a groan escaping from his lips. Not because of the long and boring instructions he had to read, but because it finally occurred to him the absurdity of the situation he was in.

It’s funny. Kihyun must have been too busy arguing with Shownu and dealing with his perpetual headache to contemplate his feelings. Now that he got some time alone, he understood what kind of horrible nightmare he was in. In some way it was a dream come true, just not the way he wanted it to be.

Kihyun looked around the table to see everyone else focused on their tablets, eyes going left and right repeatedly, never hesitating to continue reading. At that moment, it seemed like everyone knew what to do, and Kihyun was the only one sitting there, still perplexed about everything that has happened. But it was true, because he was indeed the only person that had no idea what to do.

So he looked down and started reading.

_Hello fellow contestants! Welcome to the fourth game, with the name “Guess the relationship.” In a moment, I will give you scenarios and descriptions of a contestant’s relationship situation. All you have to do is to guess which one of the contestants does the description belong to, and press the corresponding button. Don’t worry, the buttons are labeled with their names, just press one, it’s easy._

_Each round will end only when everyone has guessed and pressed the button. If you answered one of them correctly, you will see, at the top right of the screen, that you have gained one point. However, the answer of each round will not be revealed at the end. In other words, only the contestants who answered correctly will know the correct answer._

_Before we start, here’s a reminder. In this app, you can message other contestants privately. Of course, there is also a group chat, but you can talk in real life for that. The private chat is for you to discuss answers and theories privately, with the ones you trust._

_Good luck, and enjoy the game!_

The game turned out to be pretty boring, considering no one was willing to reveal their own relationships, or to talk about anyone else’s in that case. Most of them just made random guesses until one of their own stories popped out, which, they later found out, was probably the only opportunity to get points. Unless if they got lucky, of course.

Kihyun was fine with that, and judging by others’ droopy eyes, they had nothing to complain about either. Maybe all they wanted was to speed through all these games and get out to see sunlight again.

-

Jooheon was about to press on a random button again when he felt his tablet vibrate against his hands. Since everyone had been doing nothing but pressing buttons in silence, the sudden vibration startled him quite a bit. And it certainly didn’t help that he wasn’t a brave one to start with, so he had to stifle a gasp when someone had messaged him. Privately.

Jooheon’s eyes darted around to see if anyone found out. Luckily, everyone seemed to have turned to robots, programmed to do nothing but press buttons. Even Shownu, who was sitting right beside him, seemed to be deep in thought, oblivious to his surroundings. When Jooheon was finally convinced that everything was fine, he pressed into the chat area and read the messages.

****

**_Minhyuk_ **

_Hi, I’m Minhyuk! This is Jooheon, right?_

Jooheon could’ve ignored him and move on, but there was no reason why he shouldn’t answer. Besides, taking a break from pressing buttons was tempting, even if that means texting a stranger sitting less than a metre away.

**_Jooheon_ **

_Yea I’m Jooheon  
_

**_Minhyuk_ **

_Good, do you want to know the answer for this round?_

_Oh, but I haven’t read the description yet._

_I saw the notification and pressed on it right away  
_

Jooheon was relieved that someone was actually willing to discuss answers. It was a game after all, and it would go to waste if no one was putting any effort to guess.

**_Minhyuk_ **

_It’s ok, I can tell you the description now_

_“I broke up with my boyfriend less than a year ago, and unfortunately fate has brought us back together today, in this room playing games against each other.”  
_

**_Jooheon_ **

_Wait, does that mean there’s a couple right here?_

_Well, if you can still call it a couple, then yes  
_

_Right._

_I feel kinda bad for them_

_But breakups happen all the time; it’s nothing to be surprised about_

_So do you want to know the answer for this round?_

Jooheon hovered his fingers over the keys, thinking of a suitable answer. Minhyuk was asking as if he already knew the answer, and he doesn’t sound like he wanted to discuss answers either. He decided it would be safest to ask directly.

  ** _Jooheon_**

_You sound like you already know the answer?_

 

**_Minhyuk_ **

_Am I that obvious?  
_

_Um, yeah  
_

_Okok_

_I do know the answer, and I will tell you why_

_Don’t tell anyone, ok?  
_

_Of course I won’t  
_

_Good._

_I think there must be a glitch, because the answer showed on my screen  
_

_What?  
_

_Instead of “I”, it showed me the contestant’s name_

_Wow_

_Am I supposed to believe that?  
_

_Oh, come on, how could I make up something like that?_

_Why not?_

_You seem to have a lot to say, so it wouldn’t surprise me that you play tricks with your words.  
_

_Well I’m sorry; I just want to help you_

_If you don’t want my help, just say so, you don’t have to be mean._

_No, wait_

_Tell me the answer first  
_

_Ha. Desperate aren’t you?_

Jooheon resisted the urge to type, “fuck you”, and instead looked up to glare at Minhyuk, who replied with a smirk and a really amused expression. If Jooheon had known he would be talking with a brat, he would have stuck with pressing buttons. But now that he started, curiosity got the best of him and he had to know the answer. 

**_Jooheon_ **

_Yes, fine, whatever, I’m desperate_

_Just tell me what the answer is  
_

**_Minhyuk_ **

_Okok_

_You look cute when you’re annoyed_

_Ew._

_Stop lying; I can see your blush from here  
_

_Can you just cut to the chase already?  
_

_Aww I was having fun :(_

_Well, I’m not_

_How about I throw this tablet straight at your face_

_That way I would be having fun too  
_

_No thanks_

_Just promise me you won’t tell anyone at all  
_

_I swear I won’t_

_It’s Kihyun_

_And he’s ex-boyfriend is probably Shownu_

_Omg_

_That actually makes sense_

_They knew each other  
_

_Yep, and I was right the first time_

_Oh, when you saw how Shownu was scared to not invite Kihyun  
_

_Yep._

_Can I ask you one more question?_

_You sure have many questions_

_Why are you helping me?  
_

_What do you mean?  
_

_Shouldn’t you be helping your friend first?_

_Changkyun?_

Minhyuk never answered that question, and Jooheon looked up quick enough to catch him shuffle uncomfortably in this seat. Of course, Minhyuk might have already helped Changkyun, Jooheon had no way to know. What he really wanted to know was if Minhyuk and Changkyun were more than just friends. Jooheon saw all those times when they hugged, and it didn’t look like a normal friend or bro hug.

Jooheon had to forget about ever knowing, because Minhyuk was never going to answer. Except maybe he could ask Changkyun, but he should probably answer the question before someone complains about the round going on for too long.

Thinking back to the conversation with Minhyuk, he assumed he was the last person to answer. Only nothing happened after he pressed the button with “Kihyun” on it.

He scanned the contestants one by one and saw Hyungwon whispering to Wonho, while Changkyun was doing weird things with his fingers and his sleeve. They looked like they were done with answering, and was trying to kill time. Eventually Jooheon got to the last contestant, who was Shownu.

Shownu was typing frantically on his keyboard, with both hands, since the tablet was big enough for that. Jooheon wanted to see what was going on, but the screen was made of special materials so that you had to be in the correct angle to see something. Right now all he saw was blackness.

But he didn’t have to wonder for long, because someone sent something in the group chat.

**_Minhyuk_ **

_I can tell everyone, right now._

**_Shownu_ **

_Fuck. What do you want Minhyuk?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Author's Note]:
> 
> Thank you so much for 200+ hits! It is a really good sight to see after I go crazy tired from revising for my assessments.
> 
> Anyways, I edited this chapter myself so I'm sorry if there are still grammar mistakes (mistakes are more easily spotted if someone else reads your work). Hopefully you still enjoyed the slight roller coaster ride in this chapter ;) and are looking forward to the next chapter~


	7. Game 004 (3)

**_Minhyuk_ **

_I can tell everyone, right now._

**_Shownu_ **

_Fuck. What do you want Minhyuk?_

Before anyone could react appropriately, Kihyun made a noise of complaint that sounded something like a sigh and a groan combined. “What the hell’s going on? Can’t you just press a fucking button so we can move on? I don’t know about you, but I just want to get this over with so I can go home and sleep.”

Hyungwon knew no one would listen to Kihyun, because he was rude and he sounded like it was everyone else’s fault that he was here in the first place. And Hyungwon was right, because he saw quite a lot of people rolling their eyes at the newcomer. This wasn’t going to end that easily.

“Well, you got one part correct, you don’t know anything about me.” Minhyuk said. “You want to get this over with, but I actually want to win here. And I’m doing something right now so I can guarantee my win.” Jooheon waited for Changkyun to say something, but the kid stayed quiet. He was too tired and confused, just like everyone else was. He also had that resigned look on his face, because he recognized this situation as one of those where once it started, nothing could stop it. It’s awfully similar; Minhyuk sounded like he had a plan, and no one could stop him. Sounds about right, at least to Changkyun.

“That’s not guaranteeing your win, if you tell everyone the answer you’re going to lose.” Shownu said. Jooheon saw, from his peripheral vision, that Shownu was clutching the tableside with so much force his fingertips turned white.

A few of the contestants started to catch up and nodded at Shownu’s words, some were even muttering “oh yeah” or “that makes sense”. No one noticed Minhyuk returning to his tablet and typing again.

**_Minhyuk_ **

_I’m not planning to tell everyone the answer_

_Except, if you want to_

Shownu received the notification and almost flipped the table over because he reacted so quickly to reach out for the tablet, forgetting that he was still holding the table. Realising that it was a private chat, he forced himself to calm down and pushed the anger away as far as possible at the back of his head so no one would suspect.

**_Shownu_ **

_How would you know if the others answered yet?_

_They can’t change their answers anyway_

**_Minhyuk_ **

_I told them not to answer yet_

_Because I already know the answer, and will tell them all together in the group chat_

_They trusted you that easily?_

_No, but it wouldn’t hurt to believe me first_

_If I don’t give them the answer then they could just guess again_

_And then everyone will hate you_

_I don’t care; I don’t need their trust_

_Are you sure?_

_I thought you wanted to win_

_You don’t get it_

_I just want your trust_

_What??_

_Are you out of your mind?_

_Why would you threaten me if you want my trust?_

_Are you that scared about revealing your relationship with Kihyun?_

_You won’t understand even if I explained_

_Ok, I’m just going to tell everyone the answer then_

 

Shownu almost shouted his answer; Minhyuk sure was unpredictable. He was just worried that Kihyun would get angry and upset if their secret is revealed. Kihyun was upset enough as it is. And Kihyun was already upset at Shownu. Shownu hated himself for thinking this, but at that moment he just wanted to know why Minhyuk was acting the way he was, so it didn’t matter, not enough to make a difference, if Minhyuk did reveal the answer.

 

**_Shownu_ **

_Wait no!_

_Just tell me the answer first_

Amidst all the whispering, Shownu could’ve sworn he heard Minhyuk chuckle.

 

**_Minhyuk_ **

_Why? Shouldn’t you know?_

_It’s your story after all_

**_Shownu_ **

_Huh, but maybe someone else also broke up less than a year ago_

_How would you know it’s mine?_

_Well, there was a glitch on my screen, and I can see the correct answers_

_You’re lying_

_No I’m not_

_The answer is Kihyun_

_Yea right_

_Ugh you leave me no choice_

_Ask Jooheon if you don’t believe me, you trust him right?_

_What?_

_You told Jooheon?_

_Yes I did_

_Why the fuck would you do that_

_Because I want to help him_

_I will tell him the other answers too, for the later rounds_

_Stop lying_

_I told you, I want to gain your trust_

_Oh I see_

_I get it_

_Jooheon and I got the most points, so you want me to help you_

_If that’s what you think_

_And why would I trust you now?_

_After all that threatening_

_You wouldn’t believe me if I told you_

_Try me_

_You will know later, I bet it’s in one of these rounds_

_Smiley knows a lot, so it has to be in this game_

_I don’t know how he knows, but he knows_

_Ok fine_

_Also, I assume Changkyun knows already?_

_No, I didn’t tell him_

_You’re going to tell him later_

_No I won’t_

_Can you stop acting like you know everything?_

_What?_

_Why wouldn’t you tell him?_

_Why do I have to tell him?_

_Because he’s your friend_

_A really good friend_

_Jeez why are you the same as Jooheon?_

_It’s none of your business in case you didn’t know_

_I heard you wanted to gain my trust_

_Fine_

_He’s going to stop me from winning_

_Selfish asshole_

_I tried to be honest_

_Being honest for this one time won’t gain my trust_

_I know_

_Let’s just see if I can actually trust you after this game_

_Now go wake Kihyun up_

Shownu was meant to type “huh?” but his head moved faster than his hands, so he never typed in a reply. Seated next to Jooheon, Kihyun was indeed sound asleep His huge head turned to the side rested on his small arms, eyes closed and absolutely still, other than the occasional ups and downs of his back when he breathed. Shownu was glad to finally see a hint of peace on Kihyun’s face, even though it would be gone the moment he wakes him up. And he couldn’t deny, it was a cute scene to look at.

Shownu left his seat and reluctantly and walked over to Kihyun, patting his shoulder lightly to wake him. It didn’t take more than a few taps for Kihyun’s eyes to flicker open, he was the light sleeper Shownu remembered him to be.

“Huh, did the game end? Sorry I fell as-” Kihyun rubbed his eyes, turned his head further, and finally saw who had woken him up. “Oh, it’s you.”

Shownu was taken aback by how disappointed Kihyun was to see him, but he supressed his sadness by biting his lip, and didn’t let it show when he continued. “No, we are just moving on to another round, maybe we could all use a 5 minute break.” He said the last part loud enough for everyone to hear, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Kihyun stood up from his seat, pushing the chair backwards and forcing Shownu to back away. He walked away to stretch his legs, not even turning around to look at the other.

-

 _I met this red-haired guy on the streets just this morning, and for once I found someone that I think looked more handsome than me. He asked to eat brunch with me, and I think I might be falling for him…_  

“Look, it’s your description right?” Wonho pointed at his tablet and whispered just loud enough for Hyungwon to hear. Everyone had either left their seats or returned to playing Geometry Dash, to even notice everyone had voted and the game moved on.

Hyungwon covered his face with his huge hands, trying to hide his heated cheeks that definitely turned pink.

“Are you embarrassed?” Wonho asked, and Hyungwon didn’t need to see to know Wonho was trying hard not to laugh. Hyungwon groaned, feeling his burning cheeks with his palms. He was sure they looked like tomatoes now.

Since he didn’t see the point anymore, Hyungwon removed his hands and talked before Wonho could comment further on the tomato that was his face. “Hey-” was all he got out before Wonho interrupted coolly.

“Hey, don’t ‘hey’ me. I’m older than you.” Wonho was grinning, which, Hyungwon thought, was at least better than him laughing.

“Fine.” Hyungwon rolled his eyes and said, “Wonho- _hyung_ , I think we should tell Changkyun the answer, or at least help him. He looks so lost. I feel sorry. He’s just a kid.”

Wonho looked towards Changkyun’s direction at the mention of the kid’s name. “Wow, you’re right, he looks lost.” Wonho saw how Changkyun was staring into nothingness, leaving his Geometry Dash alone on an endless loop of deaths. “Do you want to tell him?”

Hyungwon was surprised at how easily Wonho complied. As if Wonho could read minds, he added, “I don’t mind winning the game, it just sucks to see so many people in despair. It’s supposed to be a Sunday. Even God rested, we should be able to rest and relax too.” 

Hyungwon nodded, agreeing without doubt. Even though he knew it was nearly impossible to relax in the situation they were in, it didn’t make sense to overthink and stress over a game.

So Hyungwon left his seat and sat next to Changkyun instead.

“Hey, are you ok?” He started, getting better at starting conversations after recruiting 3 people (and leading them to this hellhole) this morning.

Changkyun snapped out of his thoughts, if he was even thinking, and acknowledged Hyungwon’s presence. “Oh, hi…Hyungwon, right?” Hyungwon nodded, smiling to create a more comfortable atmosphere. Changkyun saw the smile and continued, feeling better already, “I’m ok, don’t worry about me.” 

“Are you sure? You looked deep in thought just a while ago.” Hyungwon said, recalling how his mom would’ve asked him when he was stressed with schoolwork.

Changkyun looked down, and Hyungwon followed his gaze to see him playing with his fingers. “Well, to be honest, I’m just worried about my friend Minhyuk.” Changkyun hesitated for a moment. “He’s trying so hard to win the game. Too hard in my opinion. He’s going to hurt people in this rate.” Hyungwon saw Changkyun digging his nails into his palm, hands turning white from the force. 

Changkyun looked up, surprised, when Hyungwon reached out a hand and held Changkyun’s hands in his. Hyungwon frowned at the other’s icy hands. 

“Give me your hands.” Hyungwon reached out his other hand and held Changkyun’s ones tightly, trying to warm it up with his body heat. “Don’t stress so much, your friend is going to be okay. He hasn’t hurt anyone, at least not yet. Don’t worry about it until it actually happens. You’re overthinking, it’s not worth it.”

Hyungwon looked directly into Changkyun’s eyes, and his heart sank when he all he saw was worry and despair.

“Tell you what, I’m going to tell you the answer for this round. I know it doesn’t mean much, but I really want to help you in any way I can.” Hyungwon glanced at Wonho before looking back at Changkyun. “Wonho’s going to help too. You don’t deserve to be suffering this much.” Hyungwon reminded himself that he was the reason why they were here in the first place. “No one deserves to be.”

“I…I guess you’re right.” Changkyun said quietly. “So are we working together?”

Hyungwon smiled, though still guilty after remembering everything was mostly his fault. “I will try my best to help.” Changkyun’s lips finally found the strength to curl up into a smile, a silent thank you for Hyungwon for the consolation.

Later on, Changkyun was properly introduced to Wonho, and vice versa.

“Can you believe Wonho is afraid of heights?” Hyungwon said, earning a punch on his arm from Wonho.

“Really?” Changkyun asked, grinning when Wonho looked away in embarrassment.

“I guess you’re safe then, unless this building can fly.” Changkyun said.

“You’re lucky that’s impossible.” Hyungwon chimed in, placing a hand on Wonho’s shoulder.

-

“Hey look, it says this is the last round.” Jooheon pointed out, after the break.

“Oh thank god.” Kihyun said, looking at the new information on the top right corner. “I don’t even understand how can there be so many rounds. We only have seven people, how many stories can there be?”

“To be fair, everyone here look around 20 years old. A lot can happen in 20 years” Minhyuk said, answering the rhetorical question. Kihyun ignored it and read the description.

_I have a really good friend (who is also in this room), and a lot of people thought we are boyfriends, but I’m just touchy and being a bit too friendly. Recently I’m starting to like someone else, and I’m doing everything I possibly can to get closer to him._

Shownu thought back to the conversation with Minhyuk. This was the last game, so this must be it.

Sure enough, he received a private message from Minhyuk.

 

**_Minhyuk_ **

_If I tell you this story belongs to me, do you now understand why I want your trust?_

**_Shownu_ **

_Interesting_

_Yes, I do understand_

_But you are missing a huge step in between_

_It doesn’t matter; I knew you’re smart enough to figure it yourself_

_But it still surprises me_

_Which part are you talking about?_

_Everything_

_You only want to join my “team” so you can get closer to him_

_Because you like Jooheon_

_Well not only because of him_

_I still want to win_

_Is it because you think winning will get you what you want?_

_That’s what I was told_

_That doesn’t mean it’s true_

_I choose to believe it_

_Just think for a moment, how would winning help you in any way at all?_

_If it doesn’t help, then so be it_

_This is none of your business, yet you sound like you care_

_I’m just telling you what I know_

_Fair enough_

_So did I gain your trust?_

_You’re straightforward aren’t you?_

_There’s no reason not to be_

_I will let you join us, but that doesn’t mean I trust you_

_Not completely anyways_

_Good._

_Are you sure you don’t want to ask your friend too?_

_No_

_He found new friends during the break_

_Sorry for calling you a selfish asshole back then_

_You have your reasons_

_How can you be sure?_

_Like you said, I’m smart_

_But you aren’t smart enough to figure out what the reason is_

_You’re right_

_But that’s for you to tell me_

_Well, I don’t want to, but the author wants me to_

_Huh?_

_Nothing._

_It’s because Changkyun deserves a better friend than me_

_I feel like I should apologize again for calling you an asshole_

_I thought you’d thought I was lying_

_You will never lie about your friend_

_I can see you’re a good friend_

_And trust me, I know_

_Sure_

_One more thing though_

_Go on_

_Don’t tell Jooheon_

_About me_

_Why, you think I’d tell him?_

_Yea  
You’re a team_

_That doesn’t mean I’m telling him everything_

_Don’t worry, I won’t tell, I’ve been there myself_

_Thanks_

_Good luck_

_You’ll need it_

Shownu had a feeling Jooheon wouldn’t return Minhyuk’s feelings, but Minhyuk never asked so Shownu didn’t say. He never planned to in the first place.

After everyone answered, the game finally came to an end. Most of the contestants stood up and stretched, while some pulled out their phones to check the scores.

The format changed, probably to fit in the phone screen. Shownu wondered who was monitoring the app and updating it so quickly. But then again he had a lot to wonder about since the moment he stepped in this building. Wait no; it would be since the moment Hyungwon found him on a park bench. 

 

| 

**Previous Games**

| 

**Game 004**

| 

**Total**  
  
---|---|---|---  
  
_Hyungwon_

| 

_3_

| 

_2_

| 

_5_  
  
_Jooheon_

| 

_8_

| 

_3_

| 

_11_  
  
_Shownu_

| 

_8_

| 

_2_

| 

_10_  
  
_Wonho_

| 

_3_

| 

_4_

| 

_7_  
  
_Minhyuk_

| 

_3_

| 

_9_

| 

_12_  
  
_I.M._

| 

_3_

| 

_3_

| 

_6_  
  
_Kihyun_

| 

_1_

| 

_4_

| 

_5_  
  
Shownu tried clicking into “previous games” and, just as he expected, it showed him the points everyone got for game 1, 2 and 3. He assumed Kihyun got 1 point because he was a new contestant. Minhyuk got the highest score, confirming that the ‘glitch’ was real. Other than that, nothing seemed out of place. 

He stuffed his phone back into his pockets. It felt weird to tuck it away that quickly. Usually there were so many other things to check before putting his phone away, and usually it takes a bit of convincing. Now he was putting it away because he had nothing to check anymore, and it felt like he had to discard his phone because it was useless to him. It was quite the opposite.

Shownu wanted to talk to Jooheon, but found that the seat next to him was vacant now. Instead, he saw what was next to the empty seat, which happened to be a sleeping Kihyun.

Shownu smiled, realizing that Kihyun was probably so painfully bored and worn out after pressing buttons. Kihyun was facing Shownu again, posture more or less identical to his previous nap. Kihyun’s peachy bangs fell over his forehead, long enough to tickle his closed eyes if he wasn’t that deep into his sleep. Shownu stared at the strands scattered across Kihyun’s forehead, and had the sudden urge to brush it away. He had seen sleeping Kihyun multiple times already, and everything was the same as he remembered it to be, eyes closed and a slight smile on his lips. There was always a smile; Shownu could catch even the faintest curl of his lips, wondering if Kihyun was constantly having a good dream every time he slept.

The Kihyun in front of him was a huge contrast from the grumpy one just a few minutes ago. Shownu knew he had to wake him up soon enough, but he was glad Kihyun could escape the real world and smile in the dream world of his, even if it was just for a short period of time.

“Shownu-hyung, are there any…” Jooheon shouted to catch Shownu’s attention, but quickly lowered his voice when he noticed Kihyun sleeping. “…notifications? We all answered, so it should’ve ended right? Any new instructions?” Jooheon walked closer from the vending machine – where he had been talking to Changkyun – so Shownu could hear his whispers.

Shownu double checked his tablet, shook his head, and Jooheon simply shrugged, impatient to return to his unfinished conversation.

“Wait, so you _never_ tried drinking soft drinks?” Changkyun asked when Jooheon returned. “Where’s your life man?” 

Jooheon chuckled at the shocked friend and corrected, “It’s not that I _never_ drank one before. I tried once or twice I guess…but I was never interested in those.” Jooheon gestured to the various drinks in the vending machine to make his point. 

“Wow.” Changkyun blinked hard twice, having learnt an interesting side to Joohoen. “That’s why you only buy water?” 

Jooheon nodded. “Water’s good enough.” 

“How about coffee?” Changkyun asked, curiosity all over his face.

“I’m ok with the hot ones, but I’m not sure about the cold ones,” Jooheon pointed to the can of coffee in Changkyun’s hands. “I never tried one before.”

Changkyun looked at the coffee he got after the game, and then at Jooheon, going back and forth between those two while frowning, as if he was trying to solve an impossible math question. 

“You’re missing out on so many things,” Changkyun said, while opening his can of coffee. “Coffee is always amazing, no matter cold or hot.” As if to demonstrate, he took a sip and moaned deliberately to tell Jooheon how good it is. “Here, try it.” Changkyun pushed the can towards Jooheon, so fast and with so much force a few drops spilled out.

Jooheon looked at the can like he was looking at a whole new element that came from another universe. “Well, I don’t mind trying, but you just drank from it.”

“So?” Changkyun asked, raising his eyebrows. It took him a moment to realize what Jooheon was worrying about. “Wait, don’t tell me you’re scared of sharing saliva?”

Jooheon gulped, though he didn’t know what was he so nervous about. “I’m not scared, but I think it’s a bit…” He tilted his head and breathed out. 

“Oh come on, I won’t misunderstand. I just want you to try it.” Changkyun smiled, amused by Jooheon’s remarkable reactions.

Changkyun had to motion with his eyes, head and hands a few times before Jooheon finally complied. He grabbed the can and took a sip in one swift movement, then returned the can and turned around, embarrassed.

Changkyun thought Jooheon was about to vomit at the new taste, because he walked around so he could see if Jooheon could handle the taste.

“Oh my god your face is all red, are you ok?” Changkyun asked. “Is it the coffee?”

 _No, it was because we kissed indirectly._ That was the answer that popped into his mind, but Jooheon couldn’t possibly say that.

“Uh…y-yea, it must be the new taste. It’s too s-strong, yea that’s why. I’m fine, thanks for asking.” Jooheon said instead.

Changkyun didn’t look convinced, but luckily for Jooheon, Shownu came in and the perfectly timing.

“Hey come back guys, there are new instructions.” Shownu shouted, and Jooheon noticed, behind Shownu, that Kihyun has woken up too. 

“What’s up?” Changkyun asked while walking back to the table.

“Apparently, we are staying here for the night.”


	8. Nighttime #1

“Apparently, we are staying here for the night.” Shownu said, eyeing the tablet uncomfortably, already anticipating the outrage this new piece of information will bring.

Jooheon’s pace slowed down as if the announcement created some form of resistance, but he reached his seat eventually, reading the new instructions on the tablet with a serious expression.

Changkyun was so shocked he stopped midway to his seat, shoulders slumped and face turned to stone.

Jooheon looked up from his tablet and observed that, just like him, everyone else looked restless and resentful. They repeatedly eyed their tablets with a hint of disgust, as if silently cursing Smiley for the absurd arrangements.

“Where is he going?” Minhyuk asked suddenly. Everyone followed his gaze and saw Kihyun walking away from the table, and though he was taking his time in doing so, he was definitely walking with purpose.

“I don’t know.” Only Shownu cared enough to answer.

Kihyun stopped and, without turning around, he explained, “He said there’s a kitchen here. So I’m making dinner.” With that he continued strolling towards a door, in search of a kitchen.

“Is he being serious? He’s actually planning to stay?” Wonho asked in disbelief.

Hyungwon elbowed him and tried his best to sound angry while whispering, “Kihyun’s still within earshot distance, idiot.” Wonho muttered a half apology and sighed in relief when Kihyun didn’t turn around.

“Food sounds good to me.” Minhyuk said. “I’m starving.” He stood up and ran, chasing up to Kihyun, only to be waved back immediately.

“Back so quick?” Shownu asked, only because no one else seemed to care.

“He said he’s going to cook for everyone. He said he wants to be alone.” Minhyuk shrugged and replied. “He also said it’s not going to take long.”

The screeching sound of a chair being dragged along the floor resonated in the room. Heavy footfalls followed straight after. Five heads jerked towards the source of the sound, which was a furious Wonho leaving.

Hyungwon reacted quickest and grabbed Wonho’s arm. “Where are you going?”

“Leaving! Isn’t it obvious enough?” Wonho didn’t try breaking away from Hyungwon’s grip, but his raised voice was enough evidence to know how desperate he was.

Hyungwon’s lawyer brain short-wired again as he failed miserably trying to look for the right words to say.

Jooheon had finally recovered from the shock previously, catching up with the situation. “But how would you leave this place? The door was locked remember? We already tried together when we first came.” Jooheon reminded Wonho, recalling the disheartening experience of not being able to move a simple door.

Wonho turned around and Hyungwon loosened his grip when he was sure Wonho wouldn’t sprint away, at least not yet. “I will find my way, okay? I’d break it if I have to.” Wonho countered, annoyed and breathing heavily. 

“Jooheon’s right.” Shownu joined in, ignoring Wonho’s argument. “Besides, how can you be sure you know the way out? We went through a few doors, but they definitely aren’t the only ones around here. The lights are probably turned off in the other rooms. You will get lost.”

Hyungwon held Wonho’s hand again, tugging on it gently. Once he got Wonho’s attention, he looked at him with pleading eyes, and mouthed, “Please stay”.

Wonho softened at his best friend in this room and gave in, though not before sighing exasperatingly.

Somewhere behind Minhyuk, a door opened and Kihyun’s head poked out from the gap, gesturing with his hands to come over.

There was a dining room connected to the kitchen, and on it were dishes after dishes of food. With delicious food placed in front of them, everyone forgot about the bad news and every last negative emotion was pushed to the back of their heads. All they felt now was hunger.

Everyone thanked Kihyun for the food, and for his amazing cooking skills. Food was always linked to happiness, so too bad they were perishable.

Kihyun smiled whenever someone complimented him, but even a stranger could tell it was half forced. Shownu noticed how the smile vanished the instant Kihyun looked down and pretended to eat. Shownu wanted to ask, but decided against it since Kihyun’s answer wouldn’t be genuine or truthful anyways.

After dinner, Hyungwon and Wonho volunteered to clean up, while the rest of them looked for the bedrooms they were supposed to stay in. No one tried escaping, since they knew it was pointless and would only be a waste of time and energy.

Later they found, to their great disappointment, that the “bedrooms” turned out to be only one huge bedroom with four bunk beds. However, nothing was more overwhelming than the sole fact that they were kidnapped and force to stay a few days to play games. Suddenly sleeping in a room with six strangers didn’t seem that bad anymore.

They chose their beds, even though there weren’t much to consider – all four bunk beds looked exactly the same. Changkyun shared a bed with Jooheon since Shownu headed to Kihyun’s direction, and Minhyuk didn’t seem to mind having a bed all to himself. The last two of the seven would get the last available bed. 

One good thing, Shownu told himself, is that the room is so big he could at least have semi-private conversations, as long as he kept his voice at a reasonable volume.

Shownu saw Kihyun walk languidly towards the bed located in the farthest corner of the room, and he could almost physically see the fatigue on Kihyun’s body after the long day. Shownu followed in case Kihyun fell asleep midway, that way he would have time to catch him before he falls. 

When Kihyun arrived he took the lower bunk and lied down right away, closing his eyes to rest. He didn’t acknowledge Shownu’s presence until he felt something soft covering his body. Kihyun’s eyes flickered open and he blinked it a few times, unable to register who was in front of him with fatigue kicking in again.

“Just go sleep.” Shownu whispered, straightening himself and stepping away to put some distance between them. When Kihyun didn’t do what he was told, Shownu continued, “You need the rest af-”

“After what? After cooking? After playing that game? Or is it after pressing buttons?” Kihyun snapped, sitting up properly on the bed and throwing the blankets away.

Shownu realized everyone was engaged in their own conversations to notice Kihyun’s outburst. He didn’t know whether it was a good or bad thing. Maybe they needed someone to stop them before things get heated.

Kihyun was still waiting for an answer, so Shownu said, trying his best to stay calm, “After everything that has happened.”

Shownu didn’t expect Kihyun to let him go just like that, but he certainly didn’t expect Kihyun to get mad at that either. That was why his whole body jerked when Kihyun jumped out of the bed, landing with a huge thump.

Everyone turned to look, so Kihyun grabbed Shownu’s arm and dragged him outside, nearly crashing into Hyungwon and Wonho on the way out.

As soon as the door closed, Kihyun exploded.

“Yes, I should rest after everything that has happened. Everything that has happened, that wouldn’t have happened, if it wasn’t for you!” The corridor ate up all his words and they were left in silence. Shownu could hear Kihyun’s irregular breathing loud and clear. 

Shownu looked at Kihyun, trying to find even the slightest trace of regret to prove Kihyun didn’t meant what he said. But all he saw in Kihyun’s eyes was white, hot anger.

Shownu shouted back.

“How is that my fault? I told you I was just trying to save you! You were in danger!”

“You don’t know that! Stop making things up!”

“Why are you even bringing this back?” Shownu looked away, afraid he was unable to control himself if he looked at Kihyun’s face any longer. He told himself he could hit the wall if things got even worse. Only the wall. 

“Because I can’t just ignore the fact that you brought me here, that I wouldn’t be going through this if it wasn’t for you, that I could be sleeping peacefully in my own goddamn bed, right this fucking moment.” Kihyun answered, his throat and body not allowing him to shout anymore.

Shownu wanted to punch the wall right there and then, but his arms stayed limply at his sides uncooperatively. Instead he closed his hands into fists and squeezed them so hard he was sure his knuckles turned white.

He didn’t even want to win the argument anymore; there was no point. He just wanted to understand. 

“Why are you blaming only me?” Shownu turned his head back, but looked down to the floor, still avoiding Kihyun’s face. When he got no answer, he squeezed his eyes shut and forced those words to come out. He didn’t care if his throat hurts. He needed to know.

“Do you hate me?”

-

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Wonho asked Hyungwon, placing a hand on Hyungwon’s shoulder comfortingly.

Hyungwon, who was sitting on the chosen bed and deep in thought, didn’t realize he was frowning the whole time.

“Oh, Wonho, it’s you.” Hyungwon finally snapped out of his thoughts and focused on the person next to him. “I was just thinking. Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you sure? You look really troubled.” Wonho said.

Hyungwon bit his lip and played with his fingers, because he couldn’t think of anything else to do. He didn’t want to lie anymore, but he wasn’t ready for the truth either.

“It’s ok, you can tell me anything.” Wonho said soothingly, having noticed Hyungwon fidgeting uncomfortably.

Hyungwon eyes met Wonho’s sincere ones, those being his source of courage to speak his mind truthfully.

“I’m sorry,” Hyungwon started, and Wonho waited patiently without interrupting. “I know you wanted to leave really badly, but I’m not sorry for not letting you go. I still think it would be too dangerous to venture back alone.” Hyungwon stopped for a moment to inhale deeply before continuing. “I’m sorry because I invited you in the first place. You wouldn’t be here in the first place if it wasn’t for me.” Hyungwon broke his gaze, looking down shamefully. 

There was no answer, but Hyungwon felt the bed shaking ever so slightly, so he looked back up to check. Wonho had a hand over his mouth and his eyes turned into two black crescents. It took Hyungwon a while to realize Wonho was trying to keep in his laughter.

“What are you laughing at?” Hyungwon asked; feeling really puzzled. 

Wonho had to shake his head and take a few deep breaths before he could speak properly. “I’m sorry, I swear I didn’t mean to laugh.” Wonho said, a smile still plastered on his face. “It’s just, I find it hilarious that you were feeling troubled and all depressed over those things. You make them seem like it’s the end of the world.” Wonho thought about what he said and started laughing at his own words.

Hyungwon was still very much confused, wondering how can the person next to him be so content with laughing, while he was sitting there frowning at a dark void inside his heart. He felt like he passed out for a few seconds and missed out everything that has happened in that short moment, and that was why nothing made sense.

Hyungwon gave up trying to put the puzzle pieces together; he realized it was pointless anyways since he didn’t even have all the pieces in the first place. So instead of worrying over the puzzle, which would result in a massive headache, he said whatever came to his mind first.

“So you’re not angry anymore?” Hyungwon asked, glad that Wonho stopped laughing so he wouldn’t need to look like a fool anymore.

“No…I…am…not.” Wonho answered, pronouncing his words carefully with extra emphasis to make sure he got the message across clearly. “It’s not your fault a stranger came up to you one day and told you to invite 3 people to play a game. You couldn’t have done anything else. Well, except to ignore the stranger, but I think I would’ve been too scared to disobey him too. So it’s okay. I’m not angry at you.” Wonho explained reassuringly.

One question was answered, but another popped up. “How did you know I’ve been told to invite you guys? I never told you, did I?” Hyungwon asked.

“No, you didn’t tell me. I guess I’m just smart to figure it out myself.” Wonho shrugged, a smug grin on his face.

Hyungwon rolled his eyes. He felt the need to say again, “Anyways, I’m still happy you’re not angry.”

“If you’re happy, why aren’t you smiling?” Wonho asked, smiling himself. 

Hyungwon touched his lips with his fingers instinctively, not knowing the answer himself. Maybe it was the dismal environment they were in. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Or maybe it was the fact that he couldn’t forgive himself for dragging 3 people down into this mess, even though one of them had already forgiven him.

He was still contemplating about the answer when suddenly all his nerves in his body got triggered and he jerked hard, laughing uncontrollably.

“Stop!” Hyungwon managed to shout between laughs, hands going for his waist, where Wonho’s fingers were still wriggling frantically.

Wonho finally let go after a few seconds, leaving Hyungwon breathless and still smiling from the impact.

“Look, you look more handsome when you smile.” Wonho said, getting ready to climb up to the upper bunk.

“Stop, you’re making me blush…” Hyungwon muttered, covering his cheeks with his hands and feeling them heat up. Wonho grinned at the comment, but Hyungwon couldn’t see it as he climbed up the ladder.

“Good night!” Wonho said, even though everyone else in the room was still talking and it was practically impossible to fall asleep in the noisy environment.

“Hope you have sweet dreams, I guess.” Hyungwon replied, barely whispering the last part. Hyungwon thought he would probably have nightmares with some sort of smiley face with yellow skin somewhere in his dream.

“How could I not have sweet dreams, when I’m sleeping right above a handsome guy that I was lucky to meet and be friends with?”

Hyungwon blushed again, but at least Wonho didn’t have to see it this time.

- 

To Jooheon’s surprise, Changkyun and Minhyuk went to different beds. Since Shownu went off with Kihyun, Jooheon decided to try his luck with Changkyun.

Jooheon walked over to the bed and once he was close enough, he asked, “Hi, um, do you mind if we share a bed?”

Changkyun looked up from his phone and replied immediately, “Of course, come sit.” He flashed Jooheon and friendly smile and patted the space beside him.

Jooheon smiled appreciatively to thank Changkyun. He sat down and wondered out loud, “What are you doing on your phone?”

“Oh, I’m just checking the scores.” Changkyun tilted his phone so the other could see. “You’re in second place. You must be smart. And very skilful.”

Jooheon rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “Well, it’s because Shownu-hyung helped me. I suck at these games. I never know who to trust, or when to lie, or what to do in general.”

Before Changkyun could say anything, Jooheon asked, “Why didn’t you share a bed with Minhyuk? I thought you were friends.” Jooheon felt a little bad for not letting Changkyun reply, but he was too curious to care.

Thankfully Changkyun didn’t seem to mind and looked happy to answer. “Friends don’t always have to stick together.”

“Ok, fair enough.” Jooheon was about to move on to another topic when he caught a hint of uncertainty in Changkyun’s eyes. “You’re hiding something aren’t you?”

For a moment Jooheon was afraid that Changkyun would get pissed off at his question since he, barely a friend, sounded too nosy. But Changkyun only sighed. A long, extended sigh, as if he was trying to discard all of his worries with one long exhale.

Jooheon decided to give Changkyun some time, keeping quiet and waiting until the other was ready.

“He’s not my friend.” Changkyun closed his eyes and shook his head. “I mean, I thought he was, but I don’t know anymore. I don’t know what we are.”

Jooheon didn’t know how to respond to that, so he was thankful when Changkyun continued explaining.

“We were university students, and even though he’ s a few years older than me, we were really close friends. I’ve forgotten how we met exactly, but that doesn’t matter. We ate together, played together, revised together…we did almost everything together. And maybe it’s because of Minhyuk’s touchy personality, some classmates started thinking we were more than just friends, some even started a rumour about how we were boyfriends.” Changkyun finally looked up, Jooheon listening intently despite the thousand questions floating in his head.

“The rumours got really exaggerated and almost the whole school knew at that time. Since then Minhyuk acted really weird, and I don’t know how to explain this so you would understand, but basically everything turned awkward and shit. One example is that he would be really annoyed and insecure around me, and the next thing I know, he would be running towards me and hugging me so hard I can barely breathe.”

Jooheon stared at Changkyun while he let the information sink in.

“I’m sorry, I must be boring you. Talking about me this whole time.” Changkyun said, adverting his gaze to focus on a spot that wasn’t Jooheon’s eyes.

“No no, it’s okay. I don’t mind.” Jooheon thought it was hard enough for Changkyun to open up like that, so he let all the questions fade away; he knew the questions would open up old wounds. “I’m really happy that you are willing to open up to me. It shows that you trust me, and it really means a lot to me. Thanks.”

Changkyun looked up with a small smile on his face. 

“It’s your turn. Tell me something about you.” Changkyun said, this time looking directly at Jooheon.

“What do you want to know?”

“Um…” Changkyun thought out loud, his smile slowing turning into a mischievous grin when an idea came to his mind. “I know we weren’t really friends in university, but I remember how you had this massive crush on this girl in school. Basically everyone knows. So, how’d you guys turn out? You still like her? Or do you have someone else in mind?”

Jooheon, expecting a completely different type of question, was taken aback by what he heard. His brain stopped working so he couldn’t utter a word despite his open mouth, but his body was definitely functioning properly, because, in a matter of seconds, he felt his cheeks heat up.

Changkyun laughed when he saw the pink colour on Jooheon’s face. “You don’t have to be so nervous, I didn’t ask you _who_ you like, I just asked whether you like someone or not. Are you embarrassed of the fact that I know who you _liked,_ or for the fact that you like someone else now _?_ ”

Jooheon leaned in so his elbows were rested on his thighs, then he buried his face into his hands, wishing a hole could just appear in front of him so he could jump down and hide. “Oh my god this is so embarrassing.”

Then he took a short breath and sneaked a peek at the younger, “I don’t think I ever even liked her in the first place… so yeah, I like someone else now.”

Although Jooheon’s words were barely a whisper, Changkyun heard it and laughed even louder this time. “Can you tell me who you like then?”

As soon as the question reached his ears, Jooheon sprang up to his original position, eyes widened and head shaking vigorously. He didn’t care if that was making him incredibly dizzy; he needed to make his point.

“Woah woah, ok just calm down, I won’t force you if you don’t want to say it.” Changkyun said, holding up his palms and making a pushing gesture to calm the other down. Changkyun realized Jooheon’s cheeks got even redder, but he didn’t comment on it, and he made sure his face didn’t betray anything either.

To his surprise, Jooheon spoke up himself. “No… I will tell you, you told me a lot, so this is the least I can do. And it’s only because, because…” Jooheon sighed, frustrated. “You know what, just forget that, it doesn’t matter why I’m telling you.” 

Jooheon opened his mouth, only to realize nothing was going to come out if he had to look at Changkyun. So he buried his face in his hands again and took deep breaths. 

“It’s probably stupid…this is the worst timing ever…” He shook his head slowly and sighed one more time. 

“…I like you. I think I have liked you since the day we shared the same Maths class in university.” 

-

“Do you hate me?” All Shownu’s throat managed was a croak, his words barely audible. 

Somehow Shownu found the courage to look up, and at that moment he didn’t know what shocked him more: his reaction or Kihyun’s reaction. 

Kihyun looked up too, large tears brimming in his eyes, the water shimmering despite the dim lights, threatening to fall.

Shownu, letting his emotions and body take over, smiled bitterly, his nose turning sour as well.

Kihyun refused to let his tears fall, and he thought talking would trigger and break the barrier, so for a long while they were staring at each other, not knowing what to do or say.

It was Kihyun who gave in. He couldn’t stand the stinging tears in his eyes, the blurred vision, or generally, the immense stress from the built up suspense. He closed his eyes and, once they opened, tears streaked down his cheeks, which seemed to push Shownu close to the brink of crying as well. The barrier wasn’t the only thing that had broke, Kihyun’s breathing became irregular as well, Shownu recognized it from the abrupt rise and fall of his shoulders.

Then, very slowly, Kihyun started nodding. 

“Yes, yes I do. I hate you, I really do.” 

Suddenly the door slammed open, making them jump ten feet in the air. Kihyun turned around quick enough so whoever was at the doorway wouldn’t know he cried. Shownu, at his current state, put on the best poker face he could manage.

“Have any of you seen Minhyuk?” So Changkyun was the culprit. “No one saw him left, but he’s not in the room. Did you see him open the door?”


	9. Game 005

“Have any of you seen Minhyuk? No one saw him left, but he’s not in the room. Did you see him open the door?”

Shownu shook his head in response to Changkyun’s question. Kihyun violently rubbed his face with the sleeve of his sweatshirt, still facing the wall instead of Changkyun.

“Oh, there he is.” Shownu said, pointing to his left where Minhyuk was.

Changkyun turned right and Shownu was right, as a particular Minhyuk was walking leisurely towards them.

Once Minhyuk arrived at the doorway, Changkyun asked, “Minhyuk-hyung, where did you go just now?”

“The toilet.” Minhyuk replied simply, putting on an innocent smile.

“Oh, but we never saw you leave the door. Even Shownu and Kihyun, who were standing right outside the door, didn’t see you leave.” Changkyun said, reasoning with the situation.

Changkyun barely finished his sentence when Minhyuk answered, almost too quickly, “You were all too engaged in your conversations, that’s why you didn’t even notice me.”

Changkyun tilted his head, thinking back to his conversation with Jooheon. Maybe he was too engaged.

Shownu tried to ignore the fact that Minhyuk would’ve heard everything he said (shouted) to Kihyun if Minhyuk actually walked through the door, and instead pushed his way past Changkyun to enter the room, leaving Kihyun alone, who was walking towards where Minhyuk came from, probably to look for the bathroom. 

Changkyun noticed the two leaving and shrugged, also in response to Minhyuk’s answer. Then he turned around and entered the room as well, hoping his brain was clear enough to respond to Jooheon’s confession without adding on to the embarrassment.

Changkyun didn’t notice how Minhyuk let out a huge sigh of relief. How his smile disappeared immediately. How he muttered, “phew that was close”.

-

The next morning all contestants were called awake at 6:00am sharp. This task was achieved by pouring ice-cold water on their bodies and moving the beds into hidden compartments using automated machinery.

And no, not all of them managed to get off the bed before the beds moved away.

“Fuck, my back!” Kihyun groaned, rubbing his back and turning away from Shownu who was casting worrying glances.

After a bit, no, a _lot_ more of groaning, they were informed to play the fifth game. They were guided into yet another room, the design, dimensions and decorations only slightly different, but unique, from the others. After announcing the rules, Hyungwon questioned why a totally different room was needed for a game that could be played anywhere.

“So we have to collect birthday dates and the person we like?” Minhyuk asked, holding the phone where the instructions were posted.

“Yea, and then we remember them and then unlock each other’s phone. We have to change the passwords now. The person with the most passwords wins.” Changkyun replied, probably being the only person who was willing to answer Minhyuk.

“What if we don’t like anyone?” Hyungwon asked, despite the voice in his head that is constantly repeating Wonho’s name like a broken record.

A few looked up from their phones to glance at Hyungwon, but none of them found a good enough reason to answer the question. Only Wonho cared enough to say anything, which reminded Hyungwon he was lucky to make a nice and caring friend.

“Oh, if you scroll down, there’s a separate part, like an annotation.” Wonho could’ve let Hyungwon read it himself, but he went on explaining. “Apparently the app will tell you the person you like, and you are supposed to just copy that and use it as your password. I have no idea how would they know who we like, but I guess that is easier than deciding ourselves. Maybe it’s just randomized.”

Hyungwon nodded and thanked Wonho for his patience to answer his question. After a while of understanding the instructions (and soothing their backs from the fall), they started the game.

“Let’s share our passwords.” Wonho said to Hyungwon, not bothered to ask anymore. He knew they were good enough friends to be automatic teammates. Hyungwon nodded and showed Wonho his phone without a bit of hesitation.

 

**Your password is:** _1994115WONHO_

 

Wonho did the same.

 

**Your password is:** _199331HYUNGWON_

 

They shared smiles, hoping those smiles actually meant something.

-

Despite Jooheon confessing to Changkyun, he still felt safer around Shownu. Besides, something tells him sticking with Shownu would be a better decision. Trusting his instincts more than anything, Jooheon went to Shownu first chance he got. He found Shownu in one of the corners, alone and thinking hard, as shown from the deep ‘V’ in between his squinted eyes.

“Shownu-hyung, should we exchange passwords?” Jooheon asked, no room for suspicion in his heart.

Shownu looked up, his frown disappearing when he saw who was talking. He smiled and ruffled Jooheon’s hair, reminding him, “You really do trust me a lot don’t you? Be careful with other people though, you are too naïve, don’t trust others too easily.”

Jooheon couldn’t help but blush slightly at Shownu’s sudden sign of affection. Only two people had ever ruffled his hair in his whole 20 years of life: his mother and his best friend in university, Soonyoung (he calls himself Hoshi). Luckily it was a small blush so no color showed. “I understand, Shownu-hyung. Thanks.”

Jooheon copied Shownu’s password in notes and locked it.

 

_1992618KIHYUN_

Since Minhyuk told Jooheon about Shownu and Kihyun in game 4, Jooheon didn’t show much reaction to the password. Shownu knew Minhyuk told Jooheon as well, so there was nothing to say. Jooheon handed Shownu his phone with the password on the screen.

 

**Your password is:** _1994106CHANGKYUN_

Shownu handed the phone back, trying his best but failing to suppress his curiosity. “You like Changkyun?” 

Jooheon’s cheeks heated up instantly, burning him as a punishment for being so careless. How could he forget about that? He turned away as quick as possible, but Shownu still caught the colour on his cheeks.

“Oh! Uh...I’m sorry for being so nosy.” Shownu said.

Jooheon shook his head. “It’s okay.” Once Jooheon felt his cheeks cool down a bit, he looked back up at Shownu, who was glancing at Changkyun.

“Are you planning to tell him your password?” Shownu asked, still looking at Changkyun.

Jooheon followed Shownu’s gaze to find Changkyun talking to Minhyuk. “No, I don’t think so...”

“Wait, really?” Before Jooheon could continue, Shownu interrupted. He was expecting the exact opposite answer.

“Yea, he’s friends with Minhyuk,” Jooheon explained. “He might tell Minhyuk. And I don’t want that. Is that a good move? I mean, you’re the smart one here, so if you think telling Changkyun is okay then…” Jooheon trailed off, looking at Shownu’s eyes for an answer.

“Well, if we tell him, we have to make sure he’s going to be honest and tell us his actual password too. I have to think about this.” Shownu said, trying to sound steady and reassuring. In truth, he was just buying time, since a mini debate is furiously raging in his head, trying to decide whether to tell Jooheon about working with Minhyuk.

But since Minhyuk wanted to join Shownu’s ‘team’ to get closer to Jooheon, it would be pointless to keep this a secret because then Jooheon and Minhyuk couldn’t trade passwords.

 _But if you let them trade passwords, Minhyuk would know Jooheon doesn’t return his feelings for Minhyuk. You’re going to be a heart breaker. Besides, you promised Minhyuk not to tell Jooheon about this._ Shownu thought. _Even though Minhyuk would know soon enough, it’d help if he has a bit of hope in him. This way, Minhyuk would at least help Jooheon._

“I will go talk to Minhyuk first, try to understand if he is trustable.” Shownu said, hoping thing would work the way he wanted them to be.

-

Changkyun looked at his phone, or, more particularly, at the passwords he had obtained. He recorded them in his notes, and was ready to lock it up.

 

**Hyungwon:** _1994115WONHO_

**Wonho:** _199331HYUNGWON_

 

Hyungwon and Wonho had stuck together most of the time, so Changkyun wasn’t surprised at the passwords. He looked back at Hyungwon and Wonho and smiled. They make a good match.

While Changkyun was walking, he hadn’t forgot the warning he received from Wonho. _Don’t tell anyone our passwords. Don’t tell yours either, tell us first if you want to tell someone else._ He was worried about Minhyuk – he was sure his friend would ask him soon enough.

He stopped abruptly at that thought. Where _was_ Minhyuk? It was weird now that he thought about it; Minhyuk didn’t even follow Changkyun around since the beginning of game 5. He didn’t even ask Changkyun to trade passwords. The Minhyuk he knew would do the opposite, so, unable to resist the curiosity, Changkyun went and asked Minhyuk himself.

“Hyung, aren’t you going to ask me for my password?” Changkyun asked, tapping Minhyuk’s shoulder.

Minhyuk turned off his phone and stuffed it in his pocket hastily before turning around to meet Changkyun. “Oh, hi Kyunnie!”

Changkyun opened his mouth and made fake gagging noise to pretend he was vomiting. “I told you to not use that nickname. Since the first year of university.”

“Aww but it’s cute! And I felt like using it.” Minhyuk replied.

Changkyun didn’t know how to respond to that, so he waited for Minhyuk to answer his first question.

“Well, I’m not asking you for your password, because you’re on your own this game.” Minhyuk said, shrugging. “I want to be against you so I can win you.” Minhyuk stuck his tongue out trying to remake the emoji, but after a few seconds he gave up and burst out into giggles. Changkyun laughed along at his silly friend.

“Ok, I was worried you hate me or something.” Changkyun said, already turning around to walk away. They always fought against each other in video games while they were still in university, so this was no surprise.

If Minhyuk wants to compete, then so be it.

Once Changkyun walked far enough away from Minhyuk, Minhyuk took his phone out and finished double-checking his password. He barely went to the correct screen when he had to put it back again.

“What were you looking at?” Shownu asked, motioning to Minhyuk’s pocket, where his phone was.

“Oh, I’m just checking my password.” Minhyuk said.

“Oh yes, that’s actually what I’m here for.” Shownu pulled his own phone from his pockets.

Minhyuk stared at Shownu’s phone, wanting the password. “You’re letting me work with you guys right?”

“Yea.” Shownu replied, tapping on his phone. “Well, at least for this game. If you do anything fishy, it’s over.”

Minhyuk stared intensely at Shownu’s phone as if he thinks staring long enough would magically turn his view into x-ray vision. Shownu noticed and tucked away his phone casually, finally getting Minhyuk’s full attention.

“Listen Minhyuk. I have another point to make.” Shownu started, making sure Minhyuk is looking at Shownu and actually focusing. “We didn’t know the rules of the game, so this wasn’t a problem. But if you want to work together in this game, you have to trade passwords with Jooheon. Which means he will know that you like him.” Shownu said, keeping quiet about Jooheon’s password and its contents.

Minhyuk nodded slowly. “Right.” Then he shrugged. “Eh. It’s ok. I can let him know. I just want a reason to talk to him.”

“You sure?” Shownu asked. Carefully, he added, “You will know who Jooheon likes when you see his password. You sure you’re ok if he doesn’t like you back?”

“You don’t know if he likes me or not.” Minhyuk replied defensively. “Even if he doesn’t like me back, it’s not your job to worry about it."

Shownu didn’t feel offended, mainly because he didn’t care a bit if Minhyuk hates him. It was also because Minhyuk was just like him, when his friends told him Kihyun might not accept his confession, back in the days. Shownu couldn’t blame Minhyuk. 

“Ok, then go trade now. Jooheon’s waiting.”

- 

“Do you mind if I just read it out?” Minhyuk asked, looking at Jooheon affectionately.

Jooheon tilted his head, trying to ignore how close Minhyuk is, while he tried to think. He knew immediately that Minhyuk could lie if he didn’t show him his phone. Minhyuk had told Shownu to leave them alone, so Jooheon’s trustworthy companion wasn’t around. 

Jooheon had no intention on hurting anyone, or to start any quarrels. He’d be fine trading passwords with everyone in the room. But considering Shownu’s warning, he knew clearly that not everyone shared his thoughts. “Yes, I do mind.” Jooheon replied.

Minhyuk’s smile disappeared and he took a step backwards. Jooheon appreciated the open space between them, trying not to feel bad. He told himself he said that only because he had to be careful to win the game.

“Why?” Minhyuk asked, disappointment apparent in his voice. 

“Because you could be lying to me when you say it.” Jooheon replied confidently. He wanted Shownu standing by his side to tell him if he was doing everything correctly, but he felt much better after saying those words out loud.

Minhyuk looked at Jooheon, then down at his phone, before looking up to Jooheon again. He exhaled. “Fine, I will show you.” He hadn’t forgot what was in the password. “Don’t freak out, ok?”

Minhyuk handed Jooheon his phone without waiting for an answer. Jooheon copied the password into his phone and handed it back, along with his phone so Minhyuk can copy his.

“Hey, are you going to take the phones or not?” Jooheon asked and shoved the phones towards Minhyuk.

Minhyuk was still wondering how Jooheon could stay so calm. He expected Jooheon to get at least a bit flustered.

“S-sorry.” Minhyuk took the phones and pretended to be busy, still frantically searching for answers. He didn’t notice Jooheon shuffling around and shifting weight between his feet nervously. 

“Um…if you don’t mind, can I ask if you actually like me?” Jooheon asked shyly. “You know, your password…”

Minhyuk didn’t have a chance to look at Jooheon’s password, but he looked up anyways. Everything was confusing to Minhyuk, so all he could do was improvise. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“Wait, you don’t know?” Jooheon asked, not shy anymore but feeling rather puzzled. “If you don’t like someone, the app will tell you what name to type in. And I’m asking because you’re the first person that used my name, I’m curious.”

Suddenly Minhyuk’s mind went blank. He had no idea what to do. He didn’t know whether lying or confessing would be favorable anymore. The only thing that gave him the slightest insight is the sliver of relief he felt inside. He figured he wasn’t ready to tell Jooheon yet. 

“Oh, it’s just a randomized one.” Minhyuk tried to laugh to loosen up the tension, but it came out really nervous.

Jooheon nodded, but didn’t say anything else. Minhyuk took this as a cue to continue copying down the password. He looked down and almost shouted. He wasn’t sure why, but he panicked when he saw “Changkyun” in Jooheon’s password. He only managed to push the panic down when he remembered this could be randomized.

Trying his best not to stutter, he said, “Is, is this randomized, or…” Minhyuk trailed off, unable to talk further with his trembling lips.

Jooheon retrieved his phone slowly and bit his lower lip before saying, “Well, to be honest, I’m not sure.” Jooheon rushed to explain when he saw Minhyuk’s deep frown. “I don’t think I like _like_ him, but I think we’re quite close, and we go along quite well? I guess?” 

Minhyuk didn’t get a thing Jooheon said. To him it was either like or don’t like.

“Ok, I understand. I think.” Minhyuk wanted to hit himself for lying, but there was no point.

“Great. You’re going to trade with Shownu-hyung too, right?” Jooheon said. “Let’s go together.”

-

He tried to leave, but it came to him before he even touched the doorknob, that there was no point. He knew clearly that the lights were off and this hellhole could make a decent maze. It would only be a futile attempt to escape.

So now there he was, sitting on the couch and slumping so hard and for so long he was sure the couch shaped along the curves of his body, and the dent will last for at least half a day.

He wished the couch could just swallow him whole so he wouldn’t have to hear or see anything happening around him.

“Kihyun?” 

Kihyun’s body turned autopilot mode and in a flash he was sitting upright, looking at the person that startled him.

“That, that’s your name right? I hope I didn’t get it wrong.” Kihyun shook his head but didn’t know what to say because he forgot the other person’s name.

“Oh, I’m Wonho.” Kihyun looked at the smiling man in front of him and tried to return the smile with one of his own, but he just couldn’t do it.

“Do you need me for something?” Kihyun wished he could sleep and wake up lying on his own bed, in his own apartment.

“Well, yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to trade passwords.” Wonho replied, trying to sound as nice as possible. He pointed behind him and continued, “I’m kind of working with Hyungwon and Changkyun already, so you can join us. I thought if you join us, we could win this game since we will have four passwords each, while the other three would only have three. Of course, that’s how it would work out if nothing goes wrong.”

Kihyun stared at Wonho blankly, unable to think because negative thoughts and bad mood was clouding his thoughts. He wanted to return to slump in the couch and shut his eyes so he could forget about everything until everything was over. It would be a long and painful process, but it sounded more appealing than wasting energy and forcing himself to work with three other people.

Wonho was waiting patiently, so Kihyun had to say something. He was about to give up and use the last of his resources to reject politely when something clicked in his mind.

_If I reject him, will the other three come find me? Will Shownu’s team come find me so they can win?_

“Ok sure whatever.” Kihyun slurred, forcing his legs to stand up and follow Wonho.

Forcing himself to work with three other people sounded more appealing than having the slightest interaction with his ex-boyfriend.

Standing on the other side of the room were Shownu, Minhyuk and Jooheon.

“They are going to win, they have four people, with four passwords.” Jooheon pointed out.

“If they are all honest.” Minhyuk added. He was standing next to Jooheon, so close their shoulders are almost touching. Jooheon tried his best to ignore, turning to look at Shownu, taking this as a chance to step away from Minhyuk.

“What are we going to do?” Jooheon asked, question directed to Shownu.

Shownu removed his gaze from Kihyun and looked at Jooheon. “Don’t worry, we’re winning.”

“Wait, really?” Jooheon said.

“Yea, I saw Wonho, Hyungwon and Changkyun’s password. Changkyun was talking to the other two, and his phone was turned on with all the passwords written down, so I pretended to walk past and saw everything. Changkyun’s too careless. And I was lucky Hyungwon and Wonho weren’t looking my way - they were too busy looking at each other - so they had no idea.” Minhyuk answered, approaching Jooheon again and even putting an arm around Jooheon’s shoulder to show his enthusiasm. “Don’t have to thank me!”

Shownu sighed. “It still sounds like we’re cheating.”

Jooheon mustered the best smile he could manage in the awkward situation, and removed Minhyuk’s hand in the nicest way possible.

“At least we’re not lying to get their passwords. I hate lying.” Jooheon said. “Thanks, Minhyuk-hyung. I can call you that, right?”

Minhyuk was disappointed that his hand was removed, but his face brightened up immediately after he heard how Jooheon addressed him. He nodded vigorously, overjoyed at his improving relationship with Jooheon.

Suddenly their phones vibrated all at once, announcing that the game has ended. 

_The allotted time to collect passwords has ended. Now there should be a room with the door opened. Please enter the room and put your phones on the table, above your nametag. Come back and there will be further instructions through the speakers._

They agreed to enter the room and place their phones together so they couldn’t change the password or do anything to cheat.

“Now I will call out a contestant’s name and the named contestant will go in the room alone. Try and unlock all the phones, and exit the room when you can’t unlock anymore. I will go in the room from another door and switch the phones off for the next contestant. Any questions?”

No one said anything so the second part of the game started. Shownu went in first, then Wonho, followed by Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon and finally Changkyun.

They retrieved their phones after everyone entered the passwords.

The screen, the same one in every single room, switched on and the results were written in the form of a scoreboard.

  1. Minhyuk – 6
  2. Shownu – 5
  3. Jooheon – 5
  4. Wonho – 4
  5. Kihyun – 4
  6. Hyungwon – 4
  7. Changkyun – 4



“Wait, what?” Hyungwon was the first to say something. “I thought they would only have three passwords? How did they get 5?” These were meant for Wonho, but he raised his voice out of disbelief, so everyone heard him loud and clear. 

Minhyuk smirked proudly and Jooheon smiled too, despite feeling a bit sorry for them.

“It’s because I saw…” Before Minhyuk could finish, Shownu grabbed his arm harshly and yanked him away to a corner of the room.

“Lee Minhyuk, you traitor.” Shownu said through gritted teeth.


	10. Game 006

“Lee Minhyuk, you _fucking_ traitor.” Shownu said through gritted teeth. He didn’t notice his fingernails digging into the other man’s skin until Minhyuk let out a painful yelp.

Minhyuk grabbed Shownu’s hand with his free one and yanked his arm free. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Minhyuk looked up at Shownu with so much hatred in his eyes he could almost feel the burn under his eyelid.

Shownu looked away for a millisecond, just long enough to catch the others leaving the room to play the sixth game. He barely gave the door enough time to shut completely before letting all the hatred out.

“Stop playing dumb with me, Minhyuk.” Shownu met Minhyuk’s fiery eyes with he’s own ice-cold pair. “You know what you did. You lied to us about your password. We should’ve gotten six.”

“I didn’t lie. I let Jooheon read the password straight from my phone screen. You saw it.” Minhyuk defended.

Shownu didn’t want to admit it, but Minhyuk was right. He saw Jooheon read Minhyuk’s password right off the phone screen. Shownu could sense Minhyuk getting triumphant for winning the argument. He knew he would sound childish, but he couldn’t help it when the anger inside him was literally ripping his throat apart to get out. 

“Oh yeah? Then show me your phone right now. You haven’t changed your password back right? Show me your password, type _1993113JOOHEON_ and see if it unlocks.”

Minhyuk kept staring, having no plans to listen and do what he was told.

It was this moment when the voice in Shownu’s head reminded him that this was nothing other than a game. He had no reason to be this outraged. He wasn’t even losing; all that happened was a little bit of lying and deception. A sliver of regret made its way into Shownu’s heart, but that feeling disappeared as quick as it has appeared. The voice was too soft, too quiet, to be heard. It was too small and insignificant under the storm of white-hot rage that was taking over every single part of his body. 

In one swift movement Shownu lunged for Minhyuk’s pocket, his hands slithering in between the soft fabric, searching for the familiar touch of hard metal.

But everything else happened so quickly, like the world was sped up. The next thing Shownu felt was a blow on the back of his head, and then everything went black. 

- 

Call it an instinct, a reaction, anything but intention. Minhyuk was just _afraid_. So he did what his body told him to: grab the nearest weapon and attack.

Now that Shownu’s lifeless body was in front of him, his hands started trembling. He dropped the bat that just magically appeared on the table next to him moments ago.

With a pulsating heart, he ran for the door. Not the door leading to the next game, but the one he and Shownu went through just now.

His eyes scanned through the nametags frantically, going back and forth a few times before finally landing on his own. He grabbed his own phone and switched it on, gripping the device so hard as if his life depended on it.

Suddenly, his mind went on replay, pulling Minhyuk back to last night’s events. All the things he had done, all the words he had said, came crashing down on him. The amount of emotions and information in his moment of horrified realization were way too overwhelming to handle.

He was playing a game but treating it as war.

_I hear something, like a cupboard being moved and the sound of wood scraping against the floor. I look around to see if anyone hears it, but what am I thinking? Of course no one hears it. They are all talking. In pairs. Funny how this game is made for 7 contestants, like they expect one of us to be left alone while the others pair up automatically._

_Whatever. For all I care now is the mysterious sound at this moment. I stand up quietly and look around to find where the sound came from._

_Then, I see it. Right next to my bed, a faint door frame leading into a dark abyss._

_I don’t question how it appeared all of a sudden when it had been a blank black wall just a few minutes ago. The real question is, why me? The door appeared just for me, it has to be. Otherwise why did it open in a place where only I can hear it?_

_No one cares about what I’m doing. But how can they, when they don’t even know about it? Even Changkyun, who’s supposed to be my best friend, acts like I am invisible. He didn’t even ask why I chose a different bed._

_I walk through the door and sure enough Changkyun gets distracted by Jooheon and totally overlooks me. At least he’s happy though. He looks happy. I don’t think he ever smiles to me the way he do to Jooheon. He deserves someone better than me._

_But why does it have to be Jooheon? Jooheon’s only my crush and he’s already trying to win him over._

_Once I pass the threshold, the invisible door slide close, and I am alone, with no sound other than my breathing._

_Everything is pitch black. Somewhat like the nights when I go camping with my family, but this time there’s not even stars or the moon to guide me._

_I raise my hands in front of me, but I see nothing. I reach for the walls on my sides, and realize how narrow of a corridor this is. My heart starts to go wild again, but I force myself to calm down._

_“What are your desires, Minhyuk?” Suddenly a sound resonates. I’m surprised, but not scared. I look towards my right, where I think the voice came from. But there’s no way to tell. Losing my vision distorts my auditory sense…_

_“What do you mean?” I breathe heavily and shouted into the darkness. A ‘tsk’ comes back._

_“Who are you?” I shout again. He, or she, sighs._

_“I’m the reason you’re here. And I mean what do you want right now? You get whatever you want after you win the game. Have you forgotten, Minhyuk?”_

I’m the reason you’re here. _It’s Smiley. He’s talking about the game._

_“I didn’t forget. But why do I have to tell you?”_

_I hear some footsteps, but I still see nothing but blackness. My head pulsates along with my heart. I’m getting a headache from seeing nothing._

_“Because I can help you. Don’t you see, Minhyuk? You’re the only one that saw the door, that came in. The door is going to disappear after you leave.”_

_I don’t like the way he talks. It’s making my palms sweat. I can just leave and pretend nothing happened. But he’s making it sound like I will be missing out on a great deal if I leave._

_“But if I win, do I actually get what I want?” I have to make sure._

_“I thought you already had an answer.” He pauses. “You were quite sure of yourself when you were talking to Shownu.”_

_I don’t understand how Shownu is part of this._

_“What?” He doesn’t reply, but then I remember. The conversation with Shownu during game 4 and the messages on the tablet. I told Shownu I believed that he would actually get whatever he wanted as long as I won._

_A combination of terror and disgust rises from my toes all the way to my throat. “You spied on us?”_

_“Well, I wouldn’t say spy.” I want to punch him. Is that why he chose a pitch-black room? “I was spectating the game. And a competition needs a judge. I have the right to look over you.”_

_I want to walk around until I find him so I can finally land my fist on his ugly mask, but I’m dumb. What if this leads to a maze? I’ll never find my way back to the door._

_“Fine. Then you should know what my ‘desire’ is.”_

_“Yes I do, I just wanted to confirm.” I hear shuffling, and he clears his throat. “We are running out of time. I’m going to get straight to the point, Minhyuk. I can tell you what the next game will be, and I will tell you the passwords necessary for your win.”_

_I wait for more, but he keeps quiet._

_So I ask, “for what? What do I have to do in return?”_

_“Nothing. Just win the game.”_

_“But winning this game barely helps me win the whole damn thing. They all formed teams and allies, and I have to fight alone.” Alone. Never lonely. I never get lonely. I’m just alone, by myself. It doesn’t mean I’m lonely._

_“Sometimes having less ties will be better in the long run. Do you want my help or not? Someone’s going to find out soon.”_

_I need all the help I can get. That’s the only thing my brain is telling me now._

_“Of course. But what will happen if I don’t win?” My calm state belies my feelings deep inside. I have a terrible feeling that I am getting myself into serious trouble._

_“If you don’t win, then too bad.”_

_It is so unexpected, that I am too shocked to say anything and for a few seconds I just stand there dumbfounded._

_“Wait, really?” I can’t believe it. How can someone who kidnaps 7 people to play games, not give any punishment when making a deal?_

_“Yea, why would I be lying? Besides, you will know yourself when this ends.”_

_I feel my hands. They weren’t sweaty anymore._

Minhyuk couldn’t help it. He had to change the password. Smiley had given him a fake password to show the others. It showed “ _1993113JOOHEON”_ on the app, but the real one is “ _1993113CHANGKYUN”._ Of course, the name didn’t mean anything.

Was it the fear? Of not knowing what would happen if he lost? Suddenly winning seemed mandatory. Was it something Smiley said? Or was it in him all along? The desire to win.

“Minhyuk? Are you in there? The game is starting!” The door directly behind him shook violently. Someone was knocking on the door, definitely not lightly. 

Minhyuk shoved his phone back into his pocket and opened the door, almost crashing face first into Jooheon.

That was the first time Minhyuk felt himself heat up.

“What were you doing?” Jooheon asked as they walked towards the next room. “Are you ok?”

Jooheon didn’t know, but Minhyuk was constantly fighting the urge to hold the other’s hand that was inconveniently brushing against his. Why were they walking so close together anyways?

“Yea, I’m ok. Thanks for asking.”

Jooheon knew Minhyuk was everything _but_ okay. But they knew better than to ask.

“Sorry for not calling you hyung just now. I forgot.” Jooheon apologized. They were very close to the door now, and it was then that Minhyuk realized Shownu wasn’t here anymore – he must’ve woke from the coma gone in already. 

Minhyuk couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s not a big deal. I don’t start biting people just because they don’t honorifics once or twice.” Minhyuk opened the door smiling, giving up on the effort to delude him that he smiled thinking about how cute Jooheon is.

“Whatever happened, both of you have to calm down. It’s just a game,” was the first thing Minhyuk heard when they entered.

“Oh, speak of the devil.” Wonho said. He was sitting on a couch against a wall, Hyungwon and Changkyun next to him. On the other side of the room was another couch of the same type, size and colour, forming a perfect symmetry. Shownu was sitting on that couch, leaning backwards and arms crossed while listening to Wonho talking. Minhyuk nearly overlooked Kihyun, who was sitting on a random chair on the far corner of the room, his peach hair the only thing that was visible in the shadows.

Minhyuk glanced at Shownu, but got a death glare in return, so he turned away immediately afterwards. It didn’t have to be this hard, but the selfish pride in him wasn’t going to let him apologize first.

The tablets didn’t go unnoticed; everyone was either holding it or had them resting on their laps. The remaining two were lying on the table, in between the two couches. Minhyuk recognized them immediately – they were the same brand and type from game 4. 

Everything he was doing felt wrong, but he made his way towards the tablets anyways, hoping to find some kind of resolve in the virtual world given by this electronic device that acted more like a refuge. 

The tension in the air was indisputable; the prolonged silence was evident enough for anyone to know. Shownu and Minhyuk’s unfinished argument left this invisible force in the air, unmistakably making it hard for everyone to breath.

They read the instructions on the _notice board_ in the Smiley app in silence.

Barely a minute has passed when a fast reader posted a message in the group chat.

 

**_Kihyun:_ ** _So basically like Clash Royale. It’s just that we’re using weapons instead of troops and cards._

 

Kihyun didn’t want to talk. Minhyuk understood. No one wanted to. They’d rather suffocate in this silence than to force a word out of their mouths.

 

**_Jooheon:_ ** _So what, do we separate into groups? Or is this going to be a tournament?_

**_Wonho:_ ** _Did you guys even read all of the instructions? It’s at the bottom of the page. We use our points to buy weapons, and then we attack the opposing team’s castle in the only other app in this tablet. The groups are randomized already._

 

No one replied, checking the groupings Wonho was talking about.

And then this was one of the moments where speaking is necessary, where the emotions carried in the words couldn’t be carried out with a simple text.

“What the hell? How can _this_ be randomized?!” Hyungwon blurted, standing up from his seat. “All the people with highest points are in one group, while the ones with the lowest scores are dumped into another. This is so unfair!”

Everyone turned to look at Hyungwon, taking a moment to register that the silence had finally been broken.

When they finally got the words into their minds and actually made some sense out of them, Hyungwon, Wonho, Changkyun and Kihyun turned to look at the other three. Their gazes were a mixture of anger, indignation and disbelief, as if it was the others fault the groups were so ridiculously arranged.

Of course, Minhyuk wasn’t taking any of it. “Why are you looking at us like that? We didn’t arrange the groups, it’s not our fault!” Minhyuk despised the idea of working with Shownu, even if that meant working with Jooheon. But he wasn’t going to say it. Not in front of Jooheon.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you are the three people who have the highest points right now.” Minhyuk was surprised to find Changkyun the one saying it, but there was nothing he could do; he was the one who suggested going against each other.

“Calm down guys, it’s just a game. We have to stop acting like children and actually discuss this properly.” Wonho said, placing a hand on Changkyun’s shoulder.

 _It’s just a game._ This sentence repeated over and over in Minhyuk’s mind. It seemed to be the only thing that he was hearing today. Those four words, no matter coming from whose mouth, effectively calmed him down every time. Well, every time before Wonho said it just now. Minhyuk mouthed those words silently and finally made the disheartening discovery that the sentence had become redundant. If it was just a game, why was everyone so tense, reserved, and defensive all the time? If it was just a game, why did he go through all the lying to get that one extra point in the previous game? It couldn’t possibly be just because of Jooheon, right?

Minhyuk wanted to tell himself he could win Jooheon over even without winning the game, but something about what Smiley said made it impossible to think in that way.

“So what? What do you suggest we do? What is there to discuss anyways?” Minhyuk raised his voice, unwilling to let this go. He didn’t even wait for an answer. “The answer is there is nothing to discuss. No matter what we do, nothing’s gonna help. You’re just unlucky. So just deal with it.”

Jooheon grimaced at Minhyuk’s words. He knew how bad that must’ve sounded, because he felt the pain despite the words not directed to him. Regardless, he couldn’t do anything to help Hyungwon, whose face is slowly turning red from anger and shock. 

“Y-you…fucking disgrace.” Hyungwon said through gritted teeth, too shocked to even shout. Wonho shot him a worried glance, but did nothing more than that subtle action.

Jooheon really wanted to help, and that’s why he hated himself when his mind went blank. Somehow he still managed to register Shownu walking towards the middle of the room.

“You’re wrong, Minhyuk.” Shownu looked at Minhyuk. “We can do something. We use our points to buy weapons right? We can use up our points until we are equal. We don’t have to do anything with the weapons.”

Everyone stared at Shownu, silent and thinking over this “deal” offered to them. Realization wash over some of the faces, but the rest remained unconvinced. Meanwhile Minhyuk was filled with even more hatred than before – it was written all over his face – he was clearly not in the right state to say anything.

Wonho kept his promise, carefully choosing the suitable words and preparing himself to say it in a suitable tone. “That sounds good, but how can we be sure that you won’t actually attack us after you buy the weapons?” He really wished they could just skip this game somehow by simply not doing anything, but he knew it was just his, well, his wishful thinking. This was the best he could do right now. 

Shownu switched his gaze to Wonho and gave him the smallest smile. “You can’t be sure, but I hope you could trust us. That’s the most we can do together, if you want this to be fair.”

Wonho looked sideways towards Hyungwon, glad to see he had softened up, and he was more than relieved to see in Hyungwon and Changkyun’s eyes, that they were starting to accept Shownu’s idea. He saw Kihyun too, still standing in his own little shadow, but it was too dark to make out an expression that actually meant anything.

And just like that, Wonho was convinced everything would be fine. Jooheon’s smile was possibly the sweetest thing he had seen in this terrible weekend. He felt like something heavy was lifted from his heart, and wiped clean.

That’s why he felt so incredibly pained when nothing happened the way he had expected them to be, when everything went in the worse way possible.

Minhyuk chuckled, but it didn’t sound like a good sign at all. “Yea right. Like they’re actually going to trust us. They were complaining just a minute ago, what makes you think it’s that simple? You might have another plan for all I know.” Truthfully, Minhyuk knew he was speaking without thinking. But the ball of mixed emotions in the pit of his stomach was too overwhelming and too complicated for him to decipher and define. He had no time to clear his thoughts and think straight, so he resulted in saying whatever he wanted to say. 

Jooheon was getting really frustrated, and he could tell that Changkyun did too, from the deep frown that replaced the previous calm expression. Why did Minhyuk have to make everything so difficult?

Minhyuk’s head jerked towards Jooheon with dark and bitter eyes. Jooheon didn’t realize he said that question out loud. He covered his mouth with his hand when he realized what he did, but the words had already escaped. Desperate, he looked at Shownu for some kind of reassurance, but was disappointed by the stern look Shownu gave in return.

“I mean, let’s just go with the plan, it’s probably the best way. Don’t you want this to end?” Jooheon said, hoping that he didn’t sound as scared as he really was.

But Minhyuk didn’t reply, and instead got sadder by the moment, his lips curling downwards, his smile from the chuckle already gone. “I just wanted to win, and maybe help my team win as well.” Minhyuk’s voice was barely a whisper. 

Jooheon couldn’t help but to feel bad when he saw how Minhyuk hunched, as if he was about to curl and keel over, from whatever was bothering him.

“Well, everyone wants to win, Minhyuk. And we can let you win, if you really want to. We just have to discuss. There has to be a plan that everyone accepts.” Hyungwon said softly, but Jooheon can tell he was half forcing it from how stiff he was. 

In the few minutes of arguing and failing to come to a conclusion, Jooheon had learnt to anticipate the worst. But apparently he couldn’t grasp the idea of what “worse” really is, because he definitely didn’t expect this from Minhyuk. 

For some reason what Hyungwon said angered Minhyuk even more, and all of a sudden he was saying nonsense like a spoilt kid. “No, you don’t understand Hyungwon. Out of all the people here, you have the least right to suggest we _discuss._ ”

Hyungwon didn’t understand the situation he was handling. “What?”

That was the tipping point. 

Minhyuk lashed out. “We wouldn’t have to discuss if it wasn’t for you. We wouldn’t even be here, if you didn’t agree to invite three people that day!”

Before anyone could stop him, Minhyuk rushed forward and landed a punch on Hyungwon’s beautiful face.


	11. Game 006 (2)

Hyungwon hadn’t expected it. So all he could do that was anything near to a defence was falling backwards to the floor, landing hard on his back, and half passing out while everyone else dragged Minhyuk away. His hand trailed slowly towards where it hurt most – his jaw. He touched the skin softly with his fingers and pulled away, looking down to check. It didn’t bleed. But there had to be a bruise. 

Then everything turned to a blur. He heard shouting, but he couldn’t make out who said it, or what they said. He was too tired to even try. If it weren’t for how dazed he was, he would’ve started crying a long time ago. He would’ve hated himself all over again for being part of the reason all this happened, for looking at other people suffer because of him. Maybe getting half knocked out isn’t a bad thing after all.

After about a minute someone came over and helped Hyungwon up to the couch. He felt something cold and soft against his jaw, which magically made him feel 10 times better. He looked up slightly to see Changkyun holding a towel against him, finally having find the energy to open his eyes properly and focus on what’s happening.

“Are you feeling better?” Hyungwon nodded, touching Changkyun’s hand lightly to show that he can hold the towel himself. He wanted to say thanks, but it came out as a feeble croak instead. He needed water.

Changkyun went to the vending machine in the corner and came back with a bottle of water.

After a few big gulps, Hyungwon’s voice came back. “Thanks, Changkyun.” Hyungwon smiled gratefully and looked around to see what happened to Minhyuk and the others. Changkyun answered his question before he even asked.

“The others went to other rooms to cool off. I think you were too dizzy to hear it, but Smiley announced through the speakers that violence isn’t allowed in this game, so the problem kinda solved itself. Jooheon seemed to be the only person that can go near Minhyuk without triggering him, so they went to another room. Shownu and Wonho are right behind us, sorting the points and buying weapons in the game, just like they said before Minhyuk went…” Changkyun wanted to say “crazy”, but he ran out of words to describe his friend in another way.

Changkyun stopped abruptly at a loss of words, and since Hyungwon felt better, he felt the need to comfort the younger one. “It’s ok, I don’t hate your friend. I don’t know how he knew about that though, but I guess it doesn’t matter. It is partly my responsibility that this started in the first place, even though I don’t know if this game will continue if I didn’t invite Wonho, Shownu and Jooheon that day. I deserved that punch, and even if he didn’t hit me just now, I would’ve probably hit him because of what he said. I can’t blame him.”

Hyungwon was glad to see Changkyun relax visibly after hearing what he said. He didn’t even need to ask again for Changkyun to continue explaining. 

“Thanks for that, I didn’t realize how much I needed it.” Changkyun started. “So I was saying, Shownu and Wonho is behind us, trying to make this game fair, and probably letting Minhyuk get a few more points just to make him happy.” Hyungwon nodded, silently hoping that this would actually work and bring some peace into the situation.

Then suddenly Changkyun lowered his voice and said, almost conspiratorially, “Kihyun is still in the corner, hiding in the shadows. He didn’t say or do anything since the beginning of this game. I think something is really bothering him, but I don’t know what. I did find out that his gaze never leaves Shownu though.”

“Maybe someone should ask Shownu to talk to him.” Hyungwon said, more to himself. “By the way, how exactly are Shownu and Wonho sorting out the scores?”

“Well, apparently you can use your teammates scores to buy weapons too, so they just buy random weapons without using them to use up the points. There’s another mechanic where you can even give your points to another teammate, so it isn’t hard to fix everything.” Changkyun replied. 

“I see. Thanks for explaining everything to me.” Hyungwon removed the towel, which has already gotten warm.

Changkyun smiled and replied, slightly embarrassed, “Well, I don’t think I would have helped you if Wonho didn’t tell me to. You should thank him.” 

Hyungwon laughed softly. “I will.” He shifted in his seat to sit up straighter, loosening his muscles in the process. “Do you mind if you keep me company when those two sort out the game?” 

“No, of course not.”

-

He wasn’t afraid, despite he was only a few feet away from a person who went out of control and hit someone else just a minute ago. He couldn’t get himself to be scared, because despite being a coward, he was a nice person. At least, that was what he was always told. 

He felt sorry for Minhyuk, because it was clear, at least for him, that Minhyuk got angry only because something was bothering him. Something must’ve happened to Minhyuk for him to act like that, Jooheon just didn’t know what.

They were back in the room for game 5, Minhyuk sitting slumped against a wall and Jooheon standing staring at him from a distance. Minhyuk was avoiding Jooheon, it was obvious. That was why it became hard for Jooheon to make the first step. Whenever Jooheon makes the slightest movement, Minhyuk flinches like he was afraid of Jooheon getting close.

It was the same when Jooheon brought him here. He still remembered how tense Minhyuk felt in his arms.

But Jooheon wanted to help Minhyuk so badly. He had to do something. The best way for Minhyuk to open up is to make him feel comfortable. Jooheon knew that, and he had the self-improvement and psychology books, and his hobby to read, to thank for that.

“Are you ok?” Jooheon said, raising his voice just enough for Minhyuk to hear him without having to walk closer, but not too high to sound aggressive.

Jooheon saw Minhyuk react in what he could only assume to be a panicky way –

though he had no idea why – since he saw Minhyuk jump and look around furtively before giving up to bury his face into his hands. Jooheon has yet to figure out what was making Minhyuk so on edge, because it was pretty damn obvious that Minhyuk started acting unusually, even abnormally, uneasy, since the moment they entered the room.

Jooheon debated whether to approach. He didn’t want to scare or trigger Minhyuk any further. But he needed to help. He wanted to help. And if he doesn’t go forward, he wouldn’t be able to any of that. He knew what he wanted, and he knew what he needed to do to get what he wanted.

There was nothing else to do. 

Slowly but with a strange determination, Jooheon sauntered towards Minhyuk. When he got close enough, he crouched too and placed a hand on Minhyuk’s shoulder, as gently as possible, to get his attention. He still felt Minhyuk tense up at the contact, but he was pleased that his reaction didn’t get any bigger than that. 

“I want you to know that no one hates you.” Jooheon said quietly, hoping his moderate voice is enough to sound soothing. “You don’t have to be scared.”

A wave of accomplishment washed over Jooheon when he felt Minhyuk relax under his hand. He controlled his emotions, realizing that Minhyuk had yet to reveal his face from the shielding of his hands. There was still a long way to go.

“I know it’s hard for you. It’s hard for everyone. We don’t really show it on our faces, and we don’t really talk about it either, but we know we are all desperate inside. No one wants to be stuck here, to be playing this game while we are supposed to work or go to school. We don’t feel good, not at all, but we make it slightly better, by talking, making new friends. There’s seven of us, I understand it’s hard for everyone to like you in just one day, but there’s always someone there to help you.

“And I want you to know, I’m one of them.”

Jooheon took a deep breath, trying to keep his inhale as quiet as possible. He hated public speaking and presentations since he was in primary school. It was definitely not easy to say so much to someone who he still couldn’t call a friend, yet, especially when he was practically counselling that person.

A minute passed, then two, and still nothing happened. Jooheon decided he gave his best and was about to give up and walk away, when Minhyuk finally shuffled. Jooheon was so startled by the sudden, unexpected movement that his hand retracted from Minhyuk’s shoulder.

Jooheon shuffled backwards a little to give space, observing intently and waiting for Minhyuk to remove his hands that might as well have been glued to his face. 

After a breathtakingly long wait, Minhyuk’s hand slid slowly off of his face, revealing a face as pale and worn out as a crumpled piece of paper. Jooheon wasn’t ready to say anything else, but he realized he didn’t have to, because Minhyuk finally said something.

“You’re going to help me?” Minhyuk said, voice surprisingly clear despite not speaking for a long time.

“Yea, and as I said just now, I’m only one of them.” Jooheon replied, using his smile as an attempt to make Minhyuk smile too.

“How? I don’t need help, I don’t need anything.” Minhyuk said, so quickly the words slurred together.

“You wanted to win, right? We’re going to let you win. It’s ok, we don’t mind if we lose. Shownu and Wonho are already working on it.” Jooheon said, knowing Minhyuk was probably talking before thinking. “You’re going to win.”

Minhyuk looked at Jooheon, still not entirely recovered, since he still refused to look at Jooheon directly, and was instead looking at a point somewhere between Jooheon’s eyebrows. He looked at Jooheon, blinking so frequently and frowning as if something got into his eyes, but never saying anything.

For a moment Jooheon thought Minhyuk was waiting for him to say something else, so he busied himself to look for things to say. He was ready to explain to Minhyuk about how Shownu and Wonho was going to let him win, when he almost got pushed to the floor.

Minhyuk leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the other, the force so strong Jooheon almost lost his balance in his crouching position. Jooheon widened his eyes and was trying to understand the reason behind the sudden sign of affection, his arms reaching out hesitantly to hug back. 

Jooheon was patting Minhyuk in a regular pattern when he heard sniffs, and realized, a bit too slow for his standards, that Minhyuk was crying. It was embarrassing to think that they were hugging, Minhyuk probably waiting for comfort from Jooheon who had no idea he was dealing with a crying person at the first place. Regardless, he got into action and hugged tighter, rubbing Minhyuk’s back soothingly. He didn’t know whether that would make the other feel comfortable, but he assumed it would have helped at least a little since he loved it when his mother did that to him whenever he cried. 

Luckily for Jooheon, he wasn’t against skin ship, so he had no problem hugging Minhyuk until Shownu and Wonho finished fixing the scores.

“I know you will tell me what’s wrong when you’re ready.” Jooheon whispered, so quiet only he could’ve heard it. 

-

When Jooheon and Minhyuk returned to the room with the two couches, it was unusually quiet. All the tablets were back on the table, so Shownu and Wonho must have finished sorting out the scores. Jooheon made a mental note to check it later.

Minhyuk nudged Jooheon lightly and gave him the what’s-going-on-and-what-should-we-do look. “I don’t know”, mouthed Jooheon. Jooheon saw everyone standing or sitting, looking around awkwardly but not talking. The only thing he saw that was worth noting is Kihyun, because he finally left his place in the shadows and moved to sit on a couch, by himself. After a bit of staring Jooheon figured the red skin around Kihyun’s eyes was a result of him crying. Something must’ve happened while they were gone, but he knew better to ask.

Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to not touch it, especially when you’re not part of it.

Minhyuk walked in first, using Changkyun as an excuse and pretending he needed to talk to his friend. Jooheon followed him in and went straight to the table, avoiding any unnecessary eye contact that would make things even more awkward.

Jooheon picked up the nearest tablet and switched it on, revealing the scoreboard. He wondered what they had to do to proceed to the next game, if there was one, of course.

 

| 

**Previous Games**

| 

**Game 004**

| 

**Game 005**

| 

**Total**  
  
---|---|---|---|---  
  
_Hyungwon_

| 

_3_

| 

_2_

| 

_4_

| 

_9_  
  
_Jooheon_

| 

_8_

| 

_3_

| 

_5_

| 

_16_  
  
_Shownu_

| 

_8_

| 

_2_

| 

_5_

| 

_15_  
  
_Wonho_

| 

_3_

| 

_4_

| 

_4_

| 

_11_  
  
_Minhyuk_

| 

_3_

| 

_9_

| 

_6_

| 

_18_  
  
_I.M._

| 

_3_

| 

_3_

| 

_4_

| 

_10_  
  
_Kihyun_

| 

_1_

| 

_4_

| 

_4_

| 

_9_  
  
 

The scores for game 006 aren’t updated yet, which means the game hasn’t ended yet. It was probably why no one was talking, quietly waiting for the game to end. Somehow Jooheon knew the game isn’t going to end itself, but Jooheon failed to find the energy in him to voice out the problem, having just finished dealing with Minhyuk. Instead Minhyuk came over and read the screen over Jooheon’s shoulder, taking it in and realizing the problem immediately. 

“So has the game ended or what?” Minhyuk said, finally snapping everyone out of their daydream and getting everyone’s attention. 

“I think it’s going to end soon, maybe it’s just waiting for you to return.” After a moment of silence, Changkyun was the one who answered, being the only one that fully recovered for Minhyuk’s sudden attack. Despite that, it is still obvious that Changkyun was reluctant to answer, or to even speak, from the lack of emotion in his voice.

“But you didn’t do anything except for buying weapons and exchanging points. Both of the teams castles are untouched, so how would the game end?” Hyungwon asked sceptically.

As if to answer his question, the tablet in Jooheon’s hands vibrated and a door unlocked with a “click” some distance away.

“The time ran out.” Jooheon read from the tablet.

No one complained and moved on to the next room, familiar with the mundane procedures that they had no choice but to follow.

Jooheon clicked away the notification to see an updated scoreboard.

 

| 

**Previous Games**

| 

**Game 004**

| 

**Game 005**

| 

**Game 006**

| 

**Total**  
  
---|---|---|---|---|---  
  
_Hyungwon_

| 

_3_

| 

_2_

| 

_4_

| 

_3_

| 

_12_  
  
_Jooheon_

| 

_8_

| 

_3_

| 

_5_

| 

_-4_

| 

_12_  
  
_Shownu_

| 

_8_

| 

_2_

| 

_5_

| 

_-2_

| 

_13_  
  
_Wonho_

| 

_3_

| 

_4_

| 

_4_

| 

_2_

| 

_13_  
  
_Minhyuk_

| 

_3_

| 

_9_

| 

_6_

| 

_-4_

| 

_14_  
  
_I.M._

| 

_3_

| 

_3_

| 

_4_

| 

_2_

| 

_12_  
  
_Kihyun_

| 

_1_

| 

_4_

| 

_4_

| 

_3_

| 

_12_  
  
 

The numbers comforted Jooheon in a strange way, but he wasn’t going to complain nor question about it. Everything was solved, at least for now, it was inevitable that more problems will arise, but Jooheon wasn’t going to trouble himself with depressive thoughts before things actually happen. For now, he was going to focus on the good news, and it doesn’t matter how little and insignificant the news is, because it was good.

He turned off the tablet and followed Minhyuk to the other room, hoping that he actually smelt food and lunch was right round the corner.

-

His mom will probably hate him for saying this, but at that moment Hyungwon was confident that microwave meals were the best invention ever made in human history. 

They entered the room to find 7 microwave meals sitting on a dining table, already cooked and waiting to be devoured. Normally Hyungwon would’ve left the room immediately after smelling the smallest hint of curry, but this time he didn’t care, because nothing seemed more important than feeding his empty stomach. Hyungwon avoided curry, Kihyun avoided fish and Minhyuk avoided anything green that looked like cucumber, but other than that, the contestants chose random meals. They inhaled the food so quickly that they barely had time to figure out what was inside the container.

There was a passage shown on another TV screen mounted on the wall, but no one bothered to read it until they scraped off the last bit of food from the bottom of the lunchbox.

Shownu was the first to finish his lunch. While he threw the cutleries away he read the passage on the screen. He regretted the moment he cringed at the very first line. 

_Good afternoon fellow contestants! Hope you enjoy your lunch! If you want snacks and drinks feel free to look in the fridge and cupboards. Don’t worry, I won’t ask you for money or anything. These are all free, so you can eat as much as you want, especially because you need more energy to play the following games! You can even take a nap if you want. The next game will start when I feel you all are ready, and I will unlock the door next to the fridge so you will know._

_Toilet is the room right next to door where you came in. Please don’t go in the storage room. You’re going to get lost and it’s going to be annoying._

Halfway through his reading, the other six finished eating one by one and crowded around Shownu to read it. He heard a few sighs and could sense everyone rolling their eyes.

Suddenly he felt someone tapping his shoulder. He turned around, making sure to be careful since everyone was practically sticking to him trying to read from the screen. 

“What?” He asked Hyungwon, the only person other than him that wasn’t looking at the screen.

Hyungwon nodded towards the direction of the storage room. “I want to talk to you.”

Before Shownu could express his opinion, Hyungwon held his wrist and tugged it lightly, before turning around and leaving. Shownu had nothing else to do, so he followed.

“I’m not going in. Did you even read the passage?” Shownu asked once they are stood in front of the storage room.

“Yes, I did read it.” Hyungwon said, crossing his arms. “I never said we’re going in.” 

“Ok fine, go on.” Shownu reached out a hand and made the “go on” gesture.

“I’m going straight to the point.” Hyungwon paused, waiting for Shownu to approve, but got no reaction. Hyungwon continued anyways. “You should talk to Kihyun.”

It was Shownu’s turn to cross his arms, trying not to get angry. “How’s that your business?”

“It’s not my business, but it will be better for the both of you to talk. Being here is bad enough, don’t you think you should at least try and solve a problem if there is one?” Hyungwon answered confidently, having planned everything in mind before starting this conversation.

Shownu stopped, as if actually considering about it, but then he said, “If it’s none of your business, don’t talk to me like you know everything.”

“I don’t, that’s why I’m asking you to do it. I can easily go talk to him myself.” Hyungwon looked behind Shownu to make sure Kihyun was still focused on the screen.

“Why would you do that?”

“I feel bad enough for what I did. I’m trying to make things better.” Hyungwon replied, looking back at Shownu. “I just think you’ll be more suitable for this job.”

Shownu wanted to teach him a lesson for being so nosy, but he never got the chance, because everyone finished reading, and started walking around.

Apparently Kihyun decided it was a good idea to walk into this conversation.


	12. Game 007

Shownu stared as the small, peached haired figure languidly approached, and found it getting increasingly hard to breathe as he acknowledged the closing distance between them.

Hyungwon leaned backwards and let the door to the storage room support his weight. He casually slipped his hands into his pockets, as if nothing happened.

“Were you talking about me? I heard my name.” Kihyun said, stopping a few feet away from Shownu, to which Shownu was glad about.

Shownu licked his lips as he thought of a suitable answer, but found his mind drifting away before he could come to a conclusion. He stared at the peachy bangs falling over Kihyun’s forehead and slightly brushing his eyes. It was getting too long, and Shownu, despite being in the worst timing ever, wanted to brush them away, like he always did before. But things were different, and now he couldn’t even touch one strand of the peach coloured hair even if he wanted to, so his fantasizing ends there. About a minute has passed when realization finally hit him, that he was spending the past few moments pointlessly dreaming about things that wouldn’t happen, instead of forming a reply to the question.

But when that happened, it was too late.

“Yes, we were talking about you,” Hyungwon happily answered for Shownu, “and Shownu have something to tell you.”

Shownu turned his head to glare at Hyungwon, just missing the quirked eyebrow on Kihyun’s titled head. He mouthed every single curse he could think of in 3 seconds, making sure Hyungwon got every single one of them by the amused look on his face, before fixing a poker face and turning back around to face Kihyun.

Kihyun’s head was still tilted, his eyes looking up because of the height difference. Shownu was taken aback by how cute the man in front of him was. He had to wonder: did Kihyun get cuter after they broke up, or was Kihyun always that cute, and Shownu was simply too blind to see it before?

He had a really bad feeling that it was the latter, but he had no time to worry about that, because he desperately needed something to say before things get any more awkward.

“So…you have something to tell me?” Kihyun asked.

“Oh, uh…yea, I think.” There was nothing to be nervous about, yet Shownu stuttered, distracted by the continuous effort of looking elsewhere other than Kihyun’s face, while trying to act normal at the same time.

“You think?” Kihyun replied with another question, confusion evident in his voice. 

Despite having an answer in mind, Shownu wasn’t ready to answer yet, especially with a third person listening in. Luckily, Hyungwon was smart enough to read the situation, saving the need of another awkward silence. 

“Maybe I should leave.” Hyungwon said, straightening his body. “Have fun talking.”

Hyungwon tapped Shownu’s shoulder and whispered “good luck” when walking past, and then he was gone. Shownu and Kihyun were alone again. Shownu never noticed how much he needed luck until he heard it from Hyungwon, remembering how things ended the last two times he was alone with Kihyun.

“Well?” Kihyun pushed, as if he was in a hurry.

“I’m not sure if you want to hear what I’m about to say.” Since they were alone, Shownu didn’t see the need to lie or stall anymore. Lying to Kihyun was never a good thing; it would just make things awkward and hard. _Really_ hard.

“We will never know until you actually say it.” Kihyun was surprisingly calm, a huge contrast with the bundle of nerves currently swirling around in Shownu’s stomach.

“I don’t want this to end with a fight again.” Shownu said, tasting the bitterness of those words. 

Kihyun looked away for a second and sighed before turning back. “So do you want to tell me whatever you want to tell me, or no?” If there was an anger meter for Kihyun, Shownu was pretty sure it was turning yellow, and he wasn’t going to risk anything, no matter how small that risk is.

“Last time, you said you hated me,” Shownu said, knowing there was no turning back after this point. “Did you mean it? Do you actually hate me that much? Is that why you are so quiet and reserved, because you’re just that angry?”

“You said you had something to tell me, but you are asking me questions.” Kihyun answered, ignoring the questions. “They are two very different things.”

Shownu could tell that Kihyun was showing no emotions to cover up his real emotions underneath. That thought hurt him more than anything, but he knew better than to say anything about it. Especially since he was the one who didn’t want a fight.

“I do have something to tell you, I have to build up on it, so you’ll understand.”

“Then what makes you think I might be lying?” Kihyun said, ignoring the question again and referring to the previous ones, answering with another question of his own. 

Shownu was getting tired of answering so many questions just to get to the main point, but he knew what he had to do. “Because you aren’t the kind of person that would use ‘hate’ that easily.” Shownu gulped. Every word from that sentence burned his lungs and stung his throat before coming out of his mouth, but that was a necessary sacrifice on his part. The only way to solve a problem is to actually look into it, no matter how difficult and scary it is. It was the same with math back at school. 

“Well, I did hated you back then, but after staying away and calming down for a while, most of the anger is gone.” Kihyun said, finally answering properly. “Isn’t that how it works? I don’t hold a grudge.” 

“Does that mean you forgive me?” It seemed that being straightforward is the easiest way to get a clear answer. 

Kihyun sighed, pushing his bangs back with his right hand. Shownu followed every single movement. “No.” Kihyun answered simply, not bothering to elaborate even though Shownu’s frown hinted obviously that an explanation was required.

“If you’re talking about us breaking up,” Shownu had to pause at how painful those last words sounded, but he pushed on, trying to sound poised. “then answer again, because I’m talking about me bringing you here.” 

Kihyun placed his hands on his hips and closed his eyes, collecting himself. “I don’t think I can forgive you for one thing but still hate you for another. You’re still you, it doesn’t work like that.”

“I don’t understand.”

Kihyun chuckled as soon as Shownu finished the sentence. “Yea sure you don’t.” Kihyun was being mean, but after all that has happened, Shownu was starting to think he has the right to be mean. And he had no right to complain, since he considered a miracle that Kihyun hasn’t started getting real angry and shouted yet. 

Shownu was ready for an outburst, already anticipating for the worse and giving up on hoping. However, Kihyun sighed instead, and when he spoke again Shownu was surprised to hear a soft, quiet voice. 

“Shownu-hyung,” A stab of pain stroke through Shownu’s heart. He didn’t realize how long it had been since Kihyun called him with a soft voice like that. So long that it sounded foreign. “You don’t understand, do you? It’s ok, I’m going to tell you. It’s better to get this out of the way anyways. You left me that day without an explanation. A _proper_ explanation. It’s like reading a book but realizing halfway through that half of the pages are missing, so you’re left hanging like that. Do you get it? And then you joined this game, bringing me here thinking you’re protecting me. Maybe you are, but have you ever thought about what I will feel? It feels like you’re just pretending to care, because you left just like that.”

Saying it was overwhelming would be an understatement. Shownu felt weird to hear Kihyun’s perspective of the story, but he couldn’t deny that he was relieved to finally get the answer he wanted from Kihyun. 

“Thank you for explaining,” Shownu smiled, suddenly finding it much easier to stand up straight. “Now I can tell you what I wanted to tell you.” 

Kihyun, who was still caring for the old wound he opened up just now, looked up with a puzzled expression. 

“Really?”

“Yea.” Shownu took a deep breath and started walking towards Kihyun.

“…I’m sorry.”

Kihyun felt strong arms wrap around him and soon he was pulled into an embrace, his face buried in the warm and cosy feeling only a chest can provide. 

Only a few seconds passed when Kihyun came to his senses and pushed Shownu away lightly. He saw the confused look on Shownu’s face and quickly explained, “There are other people in this room.”

Shownu smiled and nodded, glancing around just to be sure. Luckily, no one was nearby, not even Hyungwon, whom he thought would eavesdrop on the conversation. In his peripheral vision he saw Kihyun walking away, towards a chair. Shownu didn’t want him to leave yet, but he couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse to keep him. 

He was just about to walk off himself and maybe get a drink when he heard a loud click to his right. Apparently, everyone heard it too, because all the noises of people talking and doing whatever they’re doing, halted. It was a loud click; it must as well be connected to the speakers.

Since Jooheon was closest to the door next to the fridge, he walked towards it and tried the handle. It went all the way down with a light push and the door opened. While he turned to look at the others, he took a quick glance through the gap of the door and saw a mixture of red and blue lights, so bright it would’ve hurt to look at it for more than a minute. Now turned around and facing the six other contestants, he waited for suggestions. When he decided no one was going to give him any, he shrugged and pushed the door wide open, to let everyone see for themselves and also to walk in.

Most of them were still holding drinks and snacks, but they entered the room nevertheless, temporarily in a better mood after given food.

The room was really spacious, the long couch occupying the whole back wall, where the door was, being the only furniture. The room was separated into two areas, one blue and one red. Everything on the two sides was of their respective colours. Blue walls, blue ceilings, blue lights, blue carpets, even the couch is half blue. And of course, on the other side, it was red walls, red ceilings, red lights, red carpets, and half of a red couch. On each of these sides were also a huge screen, displaying, well, what else was there to display? Red on one and blue on the other.

It wouldn’t take long for the average person to get a brief idea on what game they were going to play. And in this case it didn’t take long for all seven of them to realize what’s going on.

“Are we playing Would You Rather?” Minhyuk wondered out loud, to which most of the others replied with nods and mutters of “yea” or something along those lines.

“Can we turn of the lights? It’s going to fucking blind me soon.” Kihyun complained, covering his eyes from the blue and red flashes and collapsing on the couch. He didn’t expect anyone in the room to answer, and no one did. 

Well, except for the person that wasn’t in the room. “Sure.” Kihyun almost got scared to death by the loud blast of noise behind him, definitely not expecting the back wall to be filled with speakers.

The lights did switch off though, and Kihyun muttered something that sounded like “well thank you very much, but you almost made me go deaf”.

Smiley started talking again, and funnily enough, the volume of the speakers were turned down this time, as if he heard Kihyun’s complaint. “Did you have a good lunch? I hope you did, because there are many games to come!” He continued speaking, letting the loud speakers drown the groans and grunts coming from all seven contestants. “I’m sure everyone knows what we are playing next, but if you don’t know, it’s Would You Rather. I’m also sure you all know the rules to this simple game, but let me just explain it briefly just for the sake of it.” As if he made a joke only he could hear, Smiley laughed, earning impatient looks and foot tapping from the listeners.

“Basically I’m going to give you two scenarios, and it’s going to be labelled blue and red. Just choose the one you prefer, and step to the respective sides. The people on the side the majority picked will get one point. There are 10 rounds. In case some of you don’t get it, you’re not supposed to choose what you prefer, but what you think most of the other contestants will choose.” Smiley explained.

Everyone expected the game to start right away, but the screens remained their respective colours instead of displaying to the two choices.

“Any questions?” Smiley asked, and Wonho swore he heard Smiley trying not to laugh.

“No-” Wonho started.

“Actually, yes.” Shownu interrupted, ignoring the confused expression on Wonho’s face. “Is there a time limit for each round?” 

“Good question.” Smiley replied, and though there were no screens to show it, he was definitely grinning. “And the answer is no there isn’t. Take as much time as you want, and when everyone settles on one side the round will end. If you are thinking just hang around on the back side of the room.” 

The blue and red wallpaper of the screens disappeared and the two choices were finally displayed. After a moment of reading, Hyungwon was already walking towards the red side, Wonho following closely behind. Other contestants followed their lead and started making their choice too, not seeing the point in wasting time discussing while they can easily rush through the game and hope for the best. Jooheon saw Minhyuk staying by the couch, not moving, but knowing him, he was probably waiting and looking at what other people chose so he could choose the side with more people and win.

Soon Jooheon made his decision too, and was about to walk towards the blue side, when he felt something on his shoulder, slowing turning into a firm grip. He turned around and tilted his head when he saw Shownu.

“Yea?” Jooheon said, turning his whole body to face Shownu, and while doing so an idea came across his mind. “What kind of strategy do you have this time, genius?”

Jooheon smirked, but the serious expression on Shownu’s face remained. Jooheon was wondering whether he did something that caused the troubled expression on his friend’s face, but he soon realized Shownu wasn’t even looking at him, and was instead focusing on somewhere far away.

“Shownu-hyung?” Jooheon waved his hand in front of Shownu, in an attempt to catch the other’s attention.

Shownu looked around the room one more time before settling his gaze on Jooheon. “Sorry, I was just thinking.” Shownu explained. “We just spent the whole of the previous game trying to make everything fair, but everything’s going to be pointless if we let everyone do whatever they want in this game.”

Jooheon heard shuffling and turned around, letting out a sigh of relief when he realized it was only Minhyuk shifting on the couch. “Maybe we should talk somewhere else.”

Shownu nodded in silent agreement and they walked a corner of the room, farthest away from any other people.

Not wasting anymore time, Jooheon cut straight to the point, “You’re right. What do you think we should do?”

Shownu crossed his arms and frowned, like it was hard to say his thoughts out loud. “I can’t think of a better solution than this, but this one isn’t even that good either.” 

“Well we have to try right? Nothing’s going to change if we don’t even try. Tell me the plan.” Jooheon prompted.

Shownu nodded again and loosened his arms to make gestures while explaining. “How about we all choose the same side every time, so every gets the same amount of points and no one complains? I’m just worried about Minhyuk really, but that seemed like the best way to prevent any quarrels.” 

Jooheon turned around to look at everyone else, as if the answer is written all over their faces. But when he turned back to Shownu, he felt more doubtful than ever. “That’s a great idea, it really is, but it’s going to be a painful process to get everyone to agree, especially Minhyuk.” Jooheon says carefully, whispering the last few words. 

“Exactly, and I don’t even know if they want to work with us. Kihyun didn’t seem…convinced last time we talked.” Shownu said, remembering how Kihyun left so quickly as if he still felt uncomfortable around Shownu.

Jooheon had no idea what Shownu and Kihyun talked about, but he was considerate enough to not ask about it. At least not yet, when there was another problem at hand. He reminded himself what their initial objective was and said to Shownu, “Again, we should at least try. We would at least have a chance of succeeding if we do something.”

“Yea, you’re right.” Shownu said, a smile forming on his face. “Let’s go.” 

No more words were needed to send Jooheon and Shownu walking back towards the room where everyone was waiting. As expected, Minhyuk was still sitting on the couch, waiting for Shownu and Jooheon to choose their sides too.

Jooheon opened his mouth to say something, but coughed instead, almost choking on the lump in his throat. He nudged Shownu and passed him the responsibility instead.

“Um,” Shownu started, clearing his throat, “can I get everyone’s attention please?” He felt like he was being too formal but as long as it reached its purpose a little embarrassment didn’t matter.

Everyone turned their heads and looked at Shownu. Shownu noticed that they weren’t as annoyed as he thought they would be, which was a good start. 

“I have a plan, to make this easy, fast, and beneficial to everyone.” Now he sounded like a businessman, but who cared anyways? He waited for an answer, any type and form of feedback, or even just some reaction, but no one said or did anything. Instead of feeling awkward Shownu took this as an opportunity to keep going.

“How about we all choose one of the sides for each round, so we will all get 10 points after the game? No one would complain and it’s fairer that way.”

If he was feeling nervous before, Jooheon was definitely going to suffocate soon from holding his breath. He wanted to look away, afraid to face the others reactions but couldn’t, at the same time anxious and desperate to see if the plan worked. 

Just like the previous game, Wonho was the first to agree to Shownu. “Yea I was thinking about something similar to that, it sounds like a good plan.” Sadly, this input was nowhere near useful since Minhyuk jumped in and took every possible glimmer of hope away. 

“Why should I help you? We’re all going to win, but that means we get the same amount of points, and there would be no winner for this game.” Minhyuk chided. 

Since Minhyuk had literally jumped off the couch and strode around the room like a boss, shouting instead of talking like civilized human beings, most of the contestants were too afraid to rebuke, even with a strong argument in mind.

Finally, only Changkyun had the guts to say anything, which only make sense, considering their relationship. “But we already gave you more points in the previous game. Did you check?” Changkyun said, still mustering up courage to speak in front of six people, speaking just loud enough for Minhyuk to hear. “You’re going to win anyways, because you’re already 1 or 2 points ahead of us.”

Hyungwon and Wonho, who were standing next to Changkyun on the red side, nodded first. Standing on the blue side, Kihyun had a poker face, but you could still tell from the semi intense gaze that he agreed with Changkyun’s argument.

“1 or 2 points are not enough, and this small gap won’t last me through the whole game. I want to win. Unlike some of you guys.” Minhyuk said, refusing to give up.

The contempt in Minhyuk’s voice enraged Wonho. Something clicked and he couldn’t hold it back anymore. That was just how it works. All the anger and hatred exploded in his stomach and finally got its release.

“Yes, we don’t want to win, so what?! Why would we even want to win, when we are practically kidnapped?! No one wants to be here, and our only desire is to fucking leave this place as soon as possible. We don’t need people like you to start fights and quarrels and delaying everything. Fine, if you want to win, we’ll let you win, but can you just fucking choose a side and get this over with?! For God’s sake!” Wonho paused, and he looked like he was done, when he looked and Shownu and added, “Oh and you, too, why do you have to come up with these plans? Just play the game and get this over with, you don’t even want to win!”

Shownu responded to Wonho’s outrage with a hurt expression, but he was more shocked than upset, never having expected someone other than Minhyuk to lose control.

Hyungwon started saying something, but only Wonho and Changkyun would’ve heard it.

“Calm down Wonho. It’s not Shownu’s fault, he was just trying to help. I know Minhyuk is a big problem, we all know, and look, we’re trying to solve it. We understand what you mean, and we know what you want just like how _we_ know what we want. It’s going to be fine, you just have to calm down, okay?”

Jooheon touched Shownu’s arm lightly to comfort him, doubting that would help much. He felt bad that Shownu was the only one being shouted at. He needed to do something.

He turned to Minhyuk, who was closest to him other than Shownu, and said quietly, “Why do you want to win so badly anyways?” Minhyuk heard Jooheon’s voice and turned to look at Jooheon.

To Jooheon’s surprise, the anger in Minhyuk’s eyes vanished into thin air the moment they shared eye contact.


	13. Game 007 (2)

“Why do you want to win so badly anyways?”

Jooheon felt the weight of someone staring down at him. Shownu heard him. Not that he didn’t want Shownu to hear him – he would’ve kept quiet if that was the case – it was just that there was a strong desire and determination to do something, help, and play his part to contribute.

Minhyuk’s sudden soft expression didn’t go unnoticed. “Are you feeling better now?” Jooheon asked, trying to phrase it so it sounds as nice as possible.

Shownu and Jooheon both stared at Minhyuk, waiting for an answer. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, only to close it wearily shortly after, the same time he stole a glance at Shownu. Jooheon swore he saw a flash of anger the one moment Minhyuk averted his gaze, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, making it hard to be certain.

Still, Jooheon read the situation well. The following conversation was really only meant for two people. “Shownu-hyung, do you mind if we talk alone?” Jooheon said, looking up at the taller man. Almost reading the others mind, he stood on his toes and whispered to Shownu, “Don’t worry, I will scream if Minhyuk… gets too angry.”

Jooheon leaned back and looked at Shownu’s expression for an answer. Shownu nodded hesitantly, his facial expression having barely changed. 

As soon as Jooheon and Minhyuk left, Wonho approached Shownu, probably to apologize for all the shouting back then. Jooheon knew what that meant – Hyungwon, Kihyun and Changkyun would be waiting to move on in the game. He had no intentions of delaying this any further, but there was something he had to make sure. He’d have to make this quick.

They arrived at a back corner of the room, far enough from everyone else to get enough privacy, that’s it, considering there would be no shouting or screaming. 

Minhyuk leaned against a wall and looked at Jooheon. “Ok, let’s start again. You asked me why I wanted to win, right?” Minhyuk asked, a bit too cheerily.

Jooheon was standing opposite of him, making sure to keep enough distance between them. He raised his eyebrows in response to Minhyuk’s sudden mood change, but decided there were more important matters to attend to, rather than questioning about another man’s weird behaviour.

“Yes.” Jooheon answered. “To be completely honest, you’re quite a bit of trouble to us, and I figured you’re only acting like this because you want to win. So I want to know, why?” The self-formed script in his brain was a huge confidence boost for Jooheon, and he saw it as a good beginning to a conversation that would reach its purpose without big issues. 

Minhyuk was hurt by those words, and Jooheon saw it, but he tried to ignore it and focus the task on hands. Breaking his resolutions of being nice was acceptable once in a while, especially if it was necessary.

Eventually, Minhyuk got himself to answer. “Because I want to get what I want. You get what you want when you win.” Minhyuk said it as if Jooheon didn’t already know.

“Yes, I know that.” Actually, he didn’t. How and _why_ would Smiley give them whatever they wanted? “But what all of us really want now is to leave this place, and we get automatically no matter who wins, because the game would’ve ended.”

Jooheon tried to explain while reading Minhyuk’s expression, deciding whether it was too much for the other to understand. He gave exactly 5 seconds for Minhyuk to digest it before he continued. “And that’s why we want to rush through this as fast as possible. If you want to win that badly, it means you have something you really, really, want, other than leaving this place. So what is it?”

Minhyuk arched his head and looked up to the ceiling, thinking. To Jooheon it looked like he was annoyed. When Minhyuk looked back, his bangs fell over his eyes and covered them slightly, a slight smirk on his face and hands slipped silently in the pockets. 

Jooheon shuddered at Minhyuk’s sinister look, and for a second thought of the possibility of the other man being bipolar. He looked away to compose himself, and while doing so he saw Shownu, standing tall and strong, only a few metres away. The thought of help being only milliseconds away helped him calm down. He looked back to the waiting Minhyuk, trying not to flinch when he saw the other’s intimidating stance.

“What were you looking at?” Minhyuk asked, voice surprising soft and calm, as if he actually cared, which Jooheon knew he probably didn’t.

Minhyuk continued. “But that doesn’t matter. What I want to say is, why would I tell you what I want? Besides, you can just let me win and still rush through the game, since you don’t mind if you lose, right?” Minhyuk didn’t move a muscle, but his voice was challenging enough to let Jooheon understand that Minhyuk wasn’t joking around.

Jooheon surprised himself from forming a rebuttal almost immediately. “Yes I don’t mind if I lose, we all don’t. But we do mind if you keep fussing about not able to win, when we deliberately gave you more points so you can win. I mean, can you just leave us alone and stop fussing like a baby?” 

Minhyuk stepped forward as if he was about to growl and pounce like a wild animal. Jooheon was starting to think this was getting slightly, if not, straight up ridiculous. But he knew that he could be the hunter, someone that could control this animal and make sense of this situation.

Minhyuk also looked like he ran out of arguments, so Jooheon continued, in an attempt to solve the problem and reach the purpose of this conversation. 

“And if you tell me what you want, I might be able to help you get it, without winning the game.” Jooheon skipped out the fact that they couldn’t possibly be granted anything after winning a game, especially when the host was a psychopath. “That way, it’s a win-win situation.”

Everything Jooheon said so far reminded him of the dreadful days of writing persuasive speeches at school. At least now he realized how important those days were.

Minhyuk started shifting uncomfortably, a sign that he was defeated. He brushed away his bangs to reveal a sweaty forehead, and pretended to fix his hair, probably to buy time. Jooheon waited patiently, confident that the truth was going to reveal itself sooner or later. And he was right. Minhyuk eventually sighed and let his head and arms fall limply down his sides.

“Why does it have to be you?” Minhyuk said, so quietly that Jooheon almost missed it. 

This was the first question that Jooheon had no answer for. “What?” Was the only thing he could manage. He edged closer to listen better.

“I mean,” Minhyuk looked up so quickly it startled Jooheon. “Why does it have to be you, out of all the people? It would be so much easier to shout and scare them away and get my way if it was someone else. Why do you have to be the person that wanted to talk to me?”

Jooheon was so confused to see the dread on Minhyuk’s face. He was starting to worry how true his hypothesis was, about Minhyuk being bipolar. There was a debate between staying and looking for help, but he was quite certain that Minhyuk couldn’t do anything harmful in the state he was currently in.

However, the confusion from the context of Minhyuk’s question still went unsolved. Jooheon still had no idea what the other was talking about, or what he was hearing in that matter. 

“Come on Minhyuk, you’re not making sense.” Jooheon said softly, placing a hand on Minhyuk’s shoulder. “I wanted to talk to you to make things better for us, not just me, but everyone else, including you. And why would other people be easier to scare away? If anything, I should be the one that is easiest to scare. Trust me, I’m the biggest coward you’ve ever met in your whole life.” Jooheon said, hoping to lighten the mood.

Unfortunately it had the exact opposite effect on Minhyuk, his hands covering his face as if he was about to cry, and nearly stumbling to the floor if it wasn’t for Jooheon’s quick reaction and strong grip on his shoulders. Before Jooheon allowed himself to panic, he switched positions so he had the wall as a support to hold Minhyuk up in place. 

He only allowed all of his emotions flood into his brain like a river and a broken dam when he was somewhat certain that he wouldn’t be dealing with an injured person on the ground within the next few minutes. It was quite disappointing how the river carried all the rubbish and debris with it, making everything greyish and hard to separate into clear groups. The inability to deal with one emotion at a time annoyed Jooheon to a great extent, because it often meant he couldn’t rely on the emotions to reflect on what he had done, which in turn meant he had no idea what he did in the past few minutes. 

Beneath his hands, Jooheon could almost feel how weak and jelly-like Minhyuk was turning. It didn’t make any sense what was happening to Minhyuk, and why. Jooheon tried shaking him, but it barely did anything to evoke the other’s response, as if something robbed Minhyuk of his senses and the only thing left in him was tears. Jooheon was never good at dealing with a sobbing person, especially when that person could barely pull off as an acquaintance.

It was a good time to call for help.

But of course, it also happened to be the worse time for help to come.

When Jooheon looked up to find his more trustable companion, his heart dropped to see yet another argument. Though it didn’t seem as heated as the ones Minhyuk was included in, it no doubt involved a lot of people. In fact, everyone had their voice raised and was gesticulating agitatedly, all except for Kihyun, who just observed quietly. 

What Jooheon saw was more depressing than 3 course works due the same day. The bonds painfully built between them had been cut off, replaced by invisible walls and separated each individual away from everyone else. It was a horrible sight, that everyone could no longer speak in a language that everyone understood, despite having English as all of their mother tongue.

They were all broken apart, and it scared Jooheon so much that he was alone again; just like how he was the moment he stepped through the doors of this building. Even Shownu seemed so far away now, like it didn’t matter he was Jooheon’s best friend among the seven, like it didn’t mean anything that Jooheon treated him more like a brother or a father. And of course he couldn’t forget Changkyun, the only person that was able to make his heart flutter in a way no one could’ve done in his whole 20 years of life. He was ignoring the infatuation for the boy, half-expecting it to go away as soon as everything ended, or if it didn’t, ignore it for the time being and develop it further when they were out and starting over like normal people. Now he found it impossible to ignore the strong admiration for the person just metres away. But instead of realizing his feelings towards Changkyun, he was more aware of the absence of it.

Changkyun had a frown on his face, which would have looked cute if it wasn’t for the reason behind it. His dark blue hair, had looked soft and silky when he first arrived now looked sticky and greasy, a result of not showering last night. Minhyuk’s hair probably had the same fate; Jooheon just didn’t notice it. In fact, everyone probably had dirty hair. Jooheon caught Changkyun averting his gaze once in a while, switching between them and Hyungwon’s quarrel with Wonho and Shownu. He was worried, Jooheon could tell from the unsettling gazes. 

Changkyun was in a state of lost and devastation, just like everyone was, and yet Jooheon still found him attractive, which reminded him terribly of how his emotions were playing around with his logical thinking. Jooheon knew he was definitely overthinking, but he couldn’t help but think that Changkyun would’ve come help him instead of staying around Hyungwon and Wonho if he’d man up and talk instead of hiding ever since his confession.

Jooheon sighed and snapped out of his messy thoughts and forced himself to deal with one thing at a time. He led Minhyuk to the couch and sat him down, sitting next to him and allowed him to rest until he felt comfortable enough to talk himself. Not knowing what he was doing, Jooheon reached up and fixed the silver hair that was tangled up when Minhyuk brushed it uncaringly. He was silly enough to think silver strands would feel any different from normal hair, and indeed it felt just like normal hair under his fingers. Minhyuk looked up at Jooheon at the sudden contact, staring at him intently, not pushing his hand away. Jooheon felt awkward under Minhyuk’s intense stare, but he continued fixing the hair until it was done.

Jooheon placed his hand down and looked away, still waiting for the other to speak first.

“You.” Minhyuk said suddenly. Not expecting a response that quickly, Jooheon looked back at Minhyuk quizzically.

“What?”

A slight blush crept up Minhyuk’s cheek, pupils darting around, embarrassed. Jooheon was left confused again, but he tried not to show it on his face. Minhyuk raised his hand but stopped midway up his face, letting it fall back down on his lap. He looked even more flustered now.

“I shouldn’t mess up my hair again, right after you helped fix it.” Minhyuk smiled nervously, his hands tensed up as if he seriously couldn’t control the want to touch his hair.

Jooheon didn’t like the sudden change of topic, but he replied, “No, it’s fine, it’s your hair, you can do whatever you want with it. I should be apologizing for touching it without your permission.”

“I wouldn’t mind if it’s you who’s touching it.”

Jooheon felt the awkwardness seeping in. “Ok…thanks? I guess?”

Minhyuk laughed. He looked fine enough in Jooheon’s opinion, so he returned to serious mode and repeated his question. “What do you mean ‘you’, just now?” 

Minhyuk’s eyes twitched, and he became visibly uncomfortable. He averted his gaze and held his hands into fists, mind racing. Unable to handle Jooheon’s stare on him further, he sighed and exhaled deeply.

Jooheon waited anxiously, background noises getting louder. Someone must’ve gotten angry and raised his voice.

Minhyuk closed his eyes and block those noises out. “I mean, I want you. You asked want is it that I want after I win the game. It’s you.” 

Jooheon blinked twice, afraid he misheard something amidst all the loud noises. But he saw from Minhyuk’s blush that he didn’t. “So, do you mean you,” Jooheon started, unsure what he was saying himself, “like me?”

Minhyuk didn’t know how to respond anymore, committing the mistake of letting his body take over his brain, and reached out to hug Jooheon.

_You_

To Minhyuk’s surprise, Jooheon hugged back. He felt a hand running up and down his back rhythmically, making him feel less awkward and more comfortable at the situation. 

“I guess I should be honest to you since you told me the truth.” Jooheon said, still holding Minhyuk. Maybe it was because Jooheon didn’t need to see the other’s face, but he didn’t feel nervous at all to speak his heart. “I developed feelings for someone else, but you still have a chance. And I guess we’re close enough for me to call you Minhyuk-hyung, right?” 

And even though they couldn’t see each other, Jooheon knew Minhyuk grinned.

-

“Sorry for shouting at you just now. I was too impetuous and I spoke before thinking.” Wonho bowed 90 degrees, Shownu in front of him.

“It’s ok, I understand what situation we’re in. Everyone is sensitive.” Shownu said, touching Wonho’s shoulder as a signal for him to stop bowing. 

“Wonho-hyung, come back!” Hyungwon shouted from behind.

Wonho sighed before turning around to walk back, gesturing with his hand for Shownu to come along. Shownu stole a glance at Jooheon and Minhyuk, and when he made sure their hushed voices weren’t likely to turn into shouts, he followed Wonho. 

“Ow!” Wonho said, rubbing his forehead where Hyungwon flicked the moment he arrived.

Shownu smiled at the faked angry expression on Hyungwon’s face, hoping it meant everything was getting better. He still had Kihyun to deal with, but he could deal with it later. It seemed to be getting better, but at the same time it was like a problem that could never be solved completely. 

“I already apologized, what do you want?” Wonho asked Hyungwon.

“To get out of here.” Hyungwon replied, looking at Changkyun and Shownu for their agreement.

“That’s what everyone wants.” Changkyun said, joining in the conversation.

“Yea, and in case you didn’t know, I can’t give you that.” Wonho stuck his tongue out like a five year old, directing it to Hyungwon.

Hyungwon pushed Wonho’s forehead with one finger. “You asked me what I wanted, so I replied.”

Shownu and Changkyun shared glances, unsure how to fit in.

“I can, however, help with that. Let’s just force everyone to choose a side right now and rush through all the games.” Wonho said, shrugging his shoulders, looking towards Jooheon and Minhyuk.

Hyungwon and Changkyun followed Wonho’s gaze, but Shownu’s gaze remained at Wonho. “That was what we’re doing the whole time though.”

Wonho looked back and Shownu. “Yea, but we’ve never actually done anything except for talking about it.”

Shownu shrugged. “There’s nothing we can do.”

“Yes there is.” Wonho replied immediately, “I can go drag them over right now. Actually, you can get one and I get the other.” 

Shownu couldn’t tell whether Wonho was just joking. “It’s fine, they can talk it out. There’s no need to be so forceful.” 

Wonho shrugged again. “But why can’t we just let Minhyuk win? Save all the talking and actually do something?”

Instead of Shownu, Changkyun spoke up instead. “No, because Minhyuk wouldn’t listen.” There was a silent as Changkyun eyed everyone nervously. “He would want to _actually_ win, and not play against a bunch of people who doesn’t care about winning.” He paused again. “Unless Jooheon managed to talk it out of him, which would be the first in history.”

“Well that’s awfully inconvenient for us.” Hyungwon said, throwing his arms in the air. “Why the hell is he so hard to please? Why can’t he just play the game and get his satisfaction of winning somewhere else? How old is he?” Hyungwon stopped complaining after that, but his lips were still moving, mouthing more curses silently, not wanting to hurt Changkyun, who was still, undeniably, Minhyuk’s friend. 

Wonho touched Hyungwon’s arms and gently pushed them back down. “You told me to say calm, and yet you’re the one getting irritated that easily.” Wonho said. “Look, you’re scaring Changkyun.” 

Changkyun shook his head and gave Wonho a tiny smile to tell him he’s fine. Anything bigger than that would be a lie of his emotions. “It’s ok, I get that we’re all just looking for someone to blame all this for. Just remember this is no one’s fault.”

Wonho was surprised at how mature the kid in front of him was; smiling at the new side Changkyun was showing him. “He’s right.”

Shownu frowned, remembering. “Not totally right.”

Changkyun looked at the older man quizzically, but Wonho was the one to speak out, “What do you mean?”

“Someone’s gotta be responsible. Nothing just happens without a reason.” Shownu replied, looking at Hyungwon. 

Hyungwon shifted uncomfortably under Shownu’s intense gaze. “I know what you’re about to say, and I apologized for that already.”

“Nothing would’ve happened if you didn’t-”

“Yes, we know that.” Wonho cut him off, not knowing why Shownu was acting like this and disappointed about it.

Shownu was still staring at Hyungwon. “I’m just saying.”

Hyungwon felt his shoulders tense. “And I already told you, I apologized. More than once. And there’s nothing else I can do. It happened already.” Hyungwon could’ve left this alone and swallow the anger, but he didn’t like to be hated on something he didn’t do, not on purpose anyways.

“Yes you can’t do anything, not now. But the more I think about it the weirder it gets and the more it doesn’t make sense. Why would you just agree to a stranger like that anyways?” Shownu realized very clearly that he wasn’t being himself. But he had been keeping this for so long, it needed a release. It just happened to be right now that everything came spilling out.

Wonho saw how Hyungwon was sweating, how his pupils were quivering in anxiety. He raised his voice unintentionally. “That’s enough.”

“Stop answering questions for him, I wasn’t asking you.” Shownu finally stopped looking at Hyungwon and turned to Wonho instead.

Even though Shownu was taller, Wonho was staring with so much intensity that he looked like the one with higher authority. “But you’re hurting him.”

Shownu raised his voice too, saying mockingly, “What? Do you want me to apologize?” 

Wonho had to blink a few times, startled by what Shownu said and had to recollect himself from the offensive comment.

Anyone walking in right now would think they were having a staring competition. No one talked, but everyone knew there was an unspoken rule. You’re not to talk unless you wanted a fight.  

Changkyun hoped silently that Jooheon and Minhyuk would finish soon so they could forget about this and pretend nothing happened, before it leaves a permanent wound. But when he looked towards the corner of the room, Jooheon seemed to be in some trouble too. He wanted to see if he could help, but there were a lot of reasons not to. First, Minhyuk probably wouldn’t want him there. Second, he didn’t want to leave Shownu, Wonho and Hyungwon alone like this. Third, the most important one of all, he remembered how he and Jooheon hadn’t spoken since last night, when Jooheon confessed. It would be really awkward to go over now.

Shownu was still staring when suddenly he felt someone pull his hand from behind. Being forced to lose the staring competition, he turned around reluctantly and narrowed his eyes when he saw Kihyun.

“Shownu-hyung, stop, they’re coming back, let’s just move on.”


	14. Game 008

“Shownu-hyung, they’re back.” Kihyun said quietly as he tugged on Shownu’s sleeve, as if he was afraid of being heard.

Wonho huffed in disapproval, not happy with the interrupted argument.

Hyungwon, Wonho, Changkyun, Kihyun and Shownu looked towards the couch, where Jooheon and Minhyuk were slowly approaching. They stopped before reaching them, staring with uncertain eyes.

After a moment of silence Kihyun said, “Let’s just choose the red side for all rounds, okay?”

As if being woken up from a deep sleep, everyone shook their heads before muttering some sort of approval. They trudged along the carpet to choose a spot and stood still, making sure to let Smiley know they are ready.

Jooheon and Minhyuk joined them on the red carpet as well, walking slowly as if the tension in the air was some sort of physical resistance. Jooheon knew very well what they walked into, what they interrupted, and he knew it could explode anytime. The longer the silent goes on for, the bigger the explosion.

Jooheon stood on a spot right across Changkyun so that they were facing each other. He tried to show some sort of greeting with the tiniest smile he could muster, but it was like Changkyun didn’t even acknowledge the other’s presence. Changkyun had his head up, but his eyes were looking down to his feet. Now that he was closer, Jooheon could make out the dark circles around his eyes, as if everything he dealt with robbed him of his energy, despite getting enough sleep the previous night. What worried him most was the amount of dread in those eyes. The stress was clinging onto Changkyun, dragging him down, and Jooheon saw it all, through those dark orbs that looked like it led to the deep dark depths of hell. 

Jooheon was sorry for not being able to help; afraid to talk in the awkward and unfamiliar setting, yet not knowing what to say if did open his mouth. What was the good in comforting others, when he couldn’t even convince himself that everything was fine?

It was distressing, realizing they are indeed broken apart, returning to a state worse than strangers, if that was even possible. No one wanted to talk, and being one of them, Jooheon knew exactly why. They saw what happened to Wonho and Minhyuk. Once you speak, you lose control of your own emotions.

There was a distant ‘ding’ as they moved onto the next round. No one moved. No one spoke. If brain in work made any sounds, the only sound in the room would be the constant buzz of everyone’s thoughts, circling around and banging against the walls of their brains trying to get out. The silence was deafening, and you could almost hear their hearts beating furiously, trying to conceal everyone’s emotions so they stay calm, at least on the outside.

After one to two minutes another ‘ding’ sounded the room, slicing through the silence so hard it ranged in everyone’s ears. Most of the contestants resolved to staring in space, pretending to be deep in thought when reality they are numbing themselves with the overwhelming mixture of emotions so they wouldn’t have to feel the most strong one of them all – distress. 

This went on for about 10 more minutes, until game 7 ended and a new announcement was made.

“Well, I was looking forward to this game, but I have to say I’m fairly disappointed in you all.” Smiley said. It was almost painful to listen to his voice booming through the speakers.

For one moment some people let anger and annoyance take over them, rolling their eyes and muttering curses, doing anything to forget about hopelessness.

The silence told them Smiley was expecting a response, so Hyungwon spoke, asking the obvious question to make things easier for himself. “Why the f-” He stopped himself before swearing, afraid it would provoke anyone. He kept it short. “Why are you disappointed?”

Smiley laughed. “Because you’re not playing properly.” He was saying it like Hyungwon was a child.

Wonho didn’t like that. “You can shut the fuck up, asshole.” Wonho said, only staying still because Hyungwon held a hand in front of him. “You told us to play games, and we are playing it. There’s no rule saying we can’t all win. Stop fucking around and just move on to the next game already.”

No one had the energy to show agreement with Wonho.

“You’re smart aren’t you, Wonho?” Smiley replied. “You’re right, you’re not breaking any rules by letting everyone win. But now there’s a problem.”

This got the attention of some people, and they start to look up to the screens, where a live recording of Smiley talking was displayed. “What problem?” Minhyuk said uneasily, sweat starting to form. Of course, no one saw that, and no one knew what Minhyuk knew, but he had a bad feeling the problem was about the deal he made with Smiley last night.

Smiley moved, his head slanted slightly, not looking straight into the camera anymore. Minhyuk’s paranoia convinced himself that Smiley was looking straight at him. He gulped.

“I was going to give the winner a special privilege, but now that we have 7 winners, that is not possible.” Smiley said teasingly, keeping his answer vague.

“Do you have goldfish memory? Have you forgotten already? I told you to stop fucking around!” Wonho shouted, and Hyungwon could hear the teeth grinding next to him. “Get to the fucking point.”

“Ok ok, just calm down. I was just playing around, jeez.” Smiley said, returning his focus to the middle of the camera. “But you know, I’m older than you, so you should stop using foul language.”

Wonho’s face almost turned red with anger. “I don’t give a fuck about that.” Changkyun, who was standing quite close to Wonho, winced at the sudden outburst.

Smiley ignored Wonho’s outburst. “If you actually played the game _properly,_ the winner would be granted with a choice.” He paused to build up suspense, but now it just irritated Wonho and the others even more. “The choice to either keep playing and try to win, or leave now and give up the opportunity to get whatever you want.”

A long pause. 

The word hit every single one of them like a brick. Heartbeat increased. Eyes twitched. Mouths gaped. The feeling of knowing they lost their chance was devastating, straight up painful. Hyungwon felt like he was being punched in the gut, recoiling in shock.

One of them could’ve left. He would’ve gotten help. They would’ve left. But they didn’t. They let everyone win.

_By letting everyone win, they’ve let everyone lose._

Stunned, no one knew what to do. They didn’t even know who to hate most. Was it Hyungwon, who technically brought some of them into this mess? Was it Smiley, the asshole who everyone should hate? Was it…the last possibility scared them the most.

Was it _themselves_? They, who just wanted to finish the games as soon as possible? They, who had let everyone win to speed up the process? They, who thought they were doing good for everyone? No, it was none of those.

It was they, who thought being nice was a solution for everything. They, who were just being delusional since the very beginning. 

Shownu ran towards the nearest screen and punched the centre of it as hard as he could manage. He heard something crack, but he couldn’t see any sign of anything breaking. The screen switched off, and he thought it was his doing, but the satisfaction was short living, realizing Smiley switched off all of the screens to remove any targets. All Shownu could do is to curse so loudly he was almost screaming, making everyone flinch uncomfortably, affecting the younger ones the most.

Changkyun looked like he was close to crying, so Jooheon patted his back, comforting him, stuffing a pack of tissues into his ice-cold hands.

Hyungwon held Wonho tightly and hugged him multiple times to stop him from doing anything violent.

Chaos broke out, and everything was doing different things, things that were important to them and to them only. Since they were already broken apart, it was more like chaos broke out individually for each of them, in their own little world.

Minhyuk saw everything placed in front of him, dizzy and feeling like he was looking at a movie in slow motion, worst quality possible. He didn’t even register the fact that the person he liked was sticking so close to another man. All he could think of is Smiley. He could almost guess what Smiley was going to say next. The meeting last night meant something, and Minhyuk was starting to get what. He was starting to understand why he was the one. 

And at that moment, with chaos surrounding him, he realized he must’ve screwed up. For some distorted reason he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of everything, of his life. He knew this feeling, this feeling of becoming ludicrous. But there was nothing he could do.

The screens flickered back on. “I am disappointed in you, Minhyuk.”

Everyone froze, stopped whatever they were doing, and looked at Minhyuk.

Minhyuk felt like he was going to faint. 

Everything went blurry, and the floor was starting to move and spin around. Minhyuk willed to close his eyes and open them when everything’s better, but he was scared he would collapse the moment he closed them. His eyes searched desperately for something to hold onto, something, anything, that could be used as a support. But there was nothing, the room had no other furniture.

Somewhere deep in his heart he knew he could’ve easily made another lie and probably get away with this, but his expression said it all. Caught. And everyone saw it. He knew now the deal he made with the man behind the screen wasn’t as simple as he thought it would be. He should’ve known from the very beginning. But it didn’t matter, because nothing could change what have already happened.

The truth was laid out right in front of him – there would be consequences, he just didn’t know what.

Everything came crashing down and it was becoming too much to take in. He couldn’t say anything. He couldn’t _think_ of anything to say.

Trying hard to focus, he managed to make out a blurred figure approaching him with arms stretched out. He felt someone holding his arms up to support him. It was Jooheon. He would be happy under normal circumstances, but he didn’t have time to feel anything other than fear, and worry. Worry and worry, over and over again.

“Are you ok?” Jooheon asked, hand holding onto Minhyuk’s arm and squeezing tightly. 

“Why is Smiley disappointed in _you?_ ” asked Wonho, standing closer to Minhyuk now. 

Jooheon turned his attention away from Minhyuk momentarily. “Can you talk about that later? Don’t you see he’s about to faint?” There was a sense of urgency in Jooheon’s voice. 

_I still have a chance._ Minhyuk thought. Despite being in the most inappropriate situation, he felt his heart getting fluttery by how deeply Jooheon cared about his well-being.

Still feeling slightly dizzy, he allowed Jooheon to keep holding his arm, but he was getting better and he can see properly now without everything spinning around. It was time to say something, but there was a big problem, a problem that sent his heart racing miles per hour. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t lie, now that his reaction had given everything away, but he couldn’t just tell everyone everything either.

The concentrated expression must’ve given something away, because Jooheon let go of Minhyuk’s hand and stepped back, looking just a tiny bit relieved that he didn’t faint. Wonho, not wasting even a second, repeated, “So, please explain. You look ok now.”

Minhyuk scanned the room and saw curiosity in every single pair of eyes. Some even had a hint of suspicion in them, though Changkyun’s soft ones were more worried, and he felt comforted that at least his friend was anxious for him. Even so, he felt like everyone had turned against him with that one sentence that he didn’t even say.

Wonho was staring intently, getting impatient, and Minhyuk realized that he had to say something before Smiley reveal anything himself. Taking a deep breath to sound calm, he said, “How would I know why he’s disappointed in me? Maybe he just wants someone to blame, or maybe he played a guessing game with himself and thought I would win. But I swear, I didn’t do anything.” He knew lying probably won’t fool anyone, nor get him anywhere, but he had to at least try before revealing half of the truth. Being honest was the last resort.

Sure enough, Wonho didn’t look convinced at all. Nor did the others. Changkyun looked even more worried now. Wonho crossed his hands, waiting for Minhyuk to take his obvious lies back.

When Minhyuk kept quiet, Wonho rolled his eyes. “Yea, like we’re going to believe that.” Hyungwon nudged him and muttered something, but Wonho ignored the warning. “You’re clearly hiding something, but you’re not telling us. And normally I wouldn’t care at all, but it sounds like _he_ wouldn’t let us play the next game if we don’t find out what you did that was so disappointing.”

Minhyuk felt himself getting sweaty, which was never a good sign. He expected he was doomed anyways, but somehow Wonho made it sound scarier. But he had to do what he had to do, and he wasn’t about to wait around for Smiley to talk for him. He planned the exact words and reciting them in his head, making sure it didn’t reveal too much and at the same time sounded convincing enough.

Minhyuk only had time to recite it once before he ran out of time. “Ok fine, I lied.” He gulped unintentionally; it was just his body reacting. “I might have met Smiley last night, and we might have made a deal, and I simply failed to accomplish it. That must be why he’s disappointed in me.” Letting his body take over, his eyes flitted around the room, trying ineffectively to read everyone’s expressions at the same time, wanting to know whether they would let him go without further questions.

“I knew you didn’t go to the washroom.” Kihyun said, not one bit of emotion in his voice. Minhyuk settled his gaze on Kihyun. 

Minhyuk got nervous all over again. “What?”

“You said you went to washroom, so I went towards where you came from because I needed the washroom too. But there was nothing there. It’s a dead end. Well, there was a locked door that definitely wasn’t the washroom.” Kihyun said, simply stating facts, sounding like he wasn’t interested at all.

However, what Kihyun said caught other people’s attention. Minhyuk resisted the urge to curse when everyone started staring at him again. “Was the locked room where you and Smiley met? Where did you enter the room from? Did you actually leave from where we entered the bedroom, because literally no one saw you leave? Is there a secret door?” Questions after questions came out Wonho’s mouth, making everything seem like an interrogation to Minhyuk.

Not wanting to cause any more trouble, Minhyuk shrugged it off and answered. “Yes. There was a secret door next to my bed. I didn’t leave through the main entrance, so no one saw me. Yes, it opened and closed right after I entered, so no one saw it.” There was no harm in telling the truth here, because all he wanted to keep to himself was his conversation with Smiley.

Luckily, Wonho seemed pleased enough with those answers, finally closing his mouth. Changkyun breathed out a relieved sigh, nodding and giving Minhyuk a tiny smile. Minhyuk had a feeling they would have to talk soon, but that would be later. Now he still had to deal with Smiley, and not knowing what he would say was a torture to his already racing heart. 

Most of the contestants looked bored by now, not interested in Minhyuk’s story and waiting for the next game to start. Smiley must’ve noticed that, because he turned on the microphone, shuffling sounds echoing in the room.

Minhyuk held his breath. “I expected Minhyuk to work the hardest here, having watched all the previous games. So I hope you will try harder next time. Of course, everyone else should work harder too. Don’t forget, you will get whatever you want if you win the game, I’m practically granting you a wish. I’ve put a lot of effort into making the games and decorating the venues, so you should at least put some effort into playing them, right?” There was a pause, expecting answers but not receiving them. “The next game will start in 10 minutes, but I will open the door first, you can rest for a while.” Just like the other times, the speaker was turned off immediately afterwards, leaving no time for questions.

Minhyuk and Changkyun shared eye contact, making a silent agreement to stay in the room so they can talk properly. Everyone else started walking towards the door, and Minhyuk stared, not wanting to look at Changkyun’s suspicious gaze.

Hyungwon disappeared into the next room when Minhyuk felt someone tap his shoulder. “Are you ok?” Jooheon asked. 

Minhyuk eyed Changkyun before turning completely to Jooheon, smiling, “Yea I’m fine, thank you for asking.” Jooheon still had his hand on Minhyuk’s shoulder, and he was enjoying the warmth from it.

“You should rest more tonight, it’s probably just from stress.” Jooheon said, looking genuinely worried, as if he had known Minhyuk for a long time. “I hope this will be over soon. I don’t want what happened to you to happen to any other people.”

Minhyuk smiled even brighter, missing how good it felt to be happy, even if it was short-lived. “I will, hopefully back at my own bed.”

Jooheon’s hand slipped away from Minhyuk’s shoulder, a small frown replacing his adorable eye smile. “Yea, I don’t want to stay another night in this horrible place. I’d rather go to university and listen to 3 lectures consecutively.”

Minhyuk knew Jooheon was trying to lighten up the mood, but he couldn’t get himself to laugh. All he managed was a sad smile. He hated himself for bringing the topic up and creating the heavy mood. 

“Want a hug?” Minhyuk widened his eyes slightly at Jooheon’s sudden offer.

“Um…yea, sure.” Again, he hated it was Jooheon who was comforting himself. He should be offering the hug for bringing up a sad topic.

They hugged and Minhyuk tried to cherish the few seconds they get to feel each other.

Then Jooheon left, and Changkyun approached Minhyuk. Minhyuk braced himself for what’s to come.

“Do you like him?” Changkyun asked instead, totally out of topic.

Minhyuk frowned at his friend. “What?”

“Jooheon. I’m talking about Joohoen. Do you like him?” Changkyun answered, like he genuinely believed Minhyuk didn’t hear him the first time.

“Wha-” Minhyuk paused, trying to cover his embarrassment with confusion. “What makes you think that?”

“Your actions?” Changkyun tilted his head, his lips curling into a small smile, finding this amusing. “Come on, I knew you for years, I know when you like someone.”

“If you’re talking about the hug just now, we were just hugging as friends.” Minhyuk said, confidence back. “Aren’t we supposed to talk about my secret meeting with Smiley?”

“You’re changing the topic, but we can go back to that later.” Changkyun said, looking more amused by the minute. “You sure do like to use the name. His name. 

Minhyuk frowned, now genuinely confused. “What do you mean? I’m just addressing him. I don’t get why you make it sound so bad.”

“Because we hate him?”

Changkyun barely finished his sentence when Minhyuk said hurriedly, “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like him, it’s not like that. I hate him as much as you do, ok?”

“Woah, ok chill man.” Changkyun reached out his hands and moved it up and down to calm Minhyuk. “That’s what I want to ask you about. What did you guys talk about? You look like you don’t hate him as much as we do.”

Here it comes. “Why do I have to tell you that?”

“Because I’m your friend.”

“But being my friend doesn’t mean I have to tell you everything.” Changkyun looked slightly hurt by that, so Minhyuk continued, “You must have something that you didn’t tell me, and I’m fine with that.”

“Yea, but I don’t keep small things like a conversation with a stranger secret. My secrets are big. Important.” _Like Jooheon’s confession?_ The question lingered in Changkyun’s mind. He promised himself to tell Minhyuk if Minhyuk would tell him what he asked for. That was how sharing secrets worked.

“Yea? Like what?” He sounded a bit taunting, but Minhyuk would do anything not to reveal his secret.

“If you answer my question, I will tell you.”

Minhyuk wasn’t expecting that answer. He looked away. “Forget it, I’m not interested anyways.”

“Sometimes I wonder why I’m friends with such a mean person.” Changkyun said, but when Minhyuk looked back he saw that Changkyun was just faking the anger. “Are you going to say something or not?”

Changkyun’s secret wasn’t that tempting, but Minhyuk didn’t know how long he could stall on before Changkyun actually gets angry. They were friends, so it made sense that Changkyun would expect Minhyuk to say something eventually. And if that was the case, what hurt could it be to just say it? Changkyun could keep a secret, he was trustworthy, and they trusted each other.

Suddenly afraid of losing a friend by keeping a secret, Minhyuk opened his mouth to answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Author's Note]:
> 
> Sorry I didn't post here yesterday. I forgot to post it here after I posted it on Wattpad...but anyways I will post both chapters here today. :)))


	15. Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Author's Note]:
> 
> The story is taking a turn~ 
> 
> (Btw sorry but this chapter is a bit shorter compared to the others, because I want to end it after this section if you know what I mean heheh)

“How much do you want to know?” Minhyuk saw how Changkyun held back his eye-roll. He knew he was being annoying, he knew he was stalling, but at the end he still wasn’t ready.

Changkyun tried to be patient. “As much as you can tell me before the next game starts.”

“I can tell you everything, the question is whether I _want_ to tell you everything.” Minhyuk didn’t mean to, but that pissed Changkyun off, by a lot. 

He groaned loudly. “Ok fine, just tell me whatever you want to tell me then. The 10 minutes is running out.” Changkyun said quickly, arms folded.

“Well, he asked me what I desired.” Minhyuk chuckled. “Such a creep, I know. Anyways, he asked me what I wanted, and…” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go on, but he knew what he said wasn’t enough.

“And…?” Changkyun prompted, encouraging his friend. “I swear to God, I won’t tell a soul. Don’t worry about it ok? You have to trust me.”

Minhyuk sighed, wondering why the 10 minutes felt longer than an hour. “And I asked him why he wanted to know.”

“You didn’t tell him?” Changkyun was eager. 

“Of course I didn’t.” Minhyuk replied. “Do you want to know more?” He asked, not wanting to reveal anything more than necessary.

“Yea, what’s the deal you made?” 

Minhyuk almost choked at the question, even though he had expected it from the very beginning. “Do I have to tell you?” 

Changkyun stared at his friend, annoyed. “Ok fine, just tell me what your desire is then. I really want to know why you want to win.” It was clear to Minhyuk that Changkyun just wanted to get something, doesn’t matter what. 

Minhyuk debated which piece of information was more worthy of keeping. He decided it didn’t matter if everyone knows who he liked, not when the person he liked knew that too. “Ok, I’m telling you why I want to win. Don’t laugh, because I know you will. And don’t judge, this might sound naïve, and even stupid.” Minhyuk looked at Changkyun and made sure he got the message. “I have a crush- well you can’t say it’s a crush because he already knows, but anyway I have a crush on Jooheon.” He sped up the last words and stopped abruptly, reading his friend’s expression.

Changkyun looked flustered, eyes flittering and not knowing what to do. “Ah…”

Minhyuk raised his eyebrows. “So, are you satisfied now? Am I free?” He smiled at his own words, but Changkyun still looked confused, neglecting Minhyuk’s question.

“Well, first, I don’t think winning this game is going to help you win Jooheon in any way at all. Second…” Changkyun trailed off, dodging Minhyuk’s questioning look. “I’m only saying this because you told me what I wanted to know, and I promised I will tell you my secret. We made a deal, and it’s only fair if I tell you. Just know I don’t mean to hurt you or anything.” Minhyuk nodded, telling Changkyun to continue.

“Someone confessed to me last night, and that person is…”

“…Jooheon.” Minhyuk cut off, completing the sentence, and leaving Changkyun wide-eyed.

“How did you know?”

Minhyuk smiled and shook his head. “Why wouldn’t I know is the correct question. It’s written all over your face and your actions, just like how you guessed that I like Jooheon.”

“Ok, you got a point.” Changkyun said, returning the smile, and at the same time remembering. “Don’t worry, I won’t take Jooheon from you or anything. You still have a chance, I don’t like him…at least not yet.” A cheeky grin formed on Changkyun’s face, but Minhyuk could tell he was serious.

“Thanks. I wonder what he thinks though. I told him I like him, and he said I still have a chance too. Is he choosing between us now…?” Minhyuk found this a bit funny, like they were in a k-drama, but he tried not to laugh.

Changkyun shrugged, his grin getting bigger as well.

Suddenly the door opened and a head poked in from the gap. “Changkyun and Minhyuk-hyung, the game’s starting, he told us there are only a few more left, let’s go!” Jooheon waved his hand and smiled, enthusiasm radiating all the way from the door to where Minhyuk and Changkyun was standing.

Changkyun and Minhyuk shared a quick look before looking towards Jooheon, starting to walk towards the door.

“Can you guys run? At least show that you care that you’re late?” Jooheon shouted, laughing right after.

Once they entered the room, the door closed automatically behind them, and the game started. 

Game after game they played, the supposedly “fun” and “exciting” ones turning tedious and dull, mainly because there was no heart put into them. Over and over again they repeated the objective, which was to rush through the games so this could be over, as if they would forget if they didn’t remind themselves constantly. 

“Let’s not doing anything this round so we all lose.”

“We can work together and give each other our answers, to speed this up.”

“Just press random buttons, I don’t care if we get negative points.”

Despite the warning Smiley gave them, no one, not even Minhyuk, tried to win anymore. They gave up on giving any effort, refusing to satisfy the man behind all this. Minhyuk was swayed, recognizing the stupidity of believing empty promises by the psychopath and noticing the possibility of gaining what he wanted, by himself.

“I don’t give a shit about what he thinks. He can’t do anything even if we stop playing his games completely.” This was the most frequently said sentence, seemingly being the most encouraging words that filled everyone with determination, determination to end this without giving Smiley what he wanted, to end this as quick as possible and get home.

However, this determination didn’t cancel the fact that the journey was strenuous, difficult to say the least.

It became increasingly hard to maintain the strength and faith with every other game they had to play. Dread was filling up their bodies, leaving no space for encouraging thoughts, dragging them down slowly like heavy weights on shoulders.

Changkyun and Kihyun seemed to have suffered most from their inner turmoil, being urged close to tears on several occasions and even being caught hiding in a corner sobbing once or twice. Others kept strong, or at least tried to, hiding their true feelings under a mask that kept them quiet and reserved. But even then, it was clear how the mask was straining their scrunched faces.

Knowing they had another night to get through was most devastating of them all, even having told they only had one more bonus game to get through the following morning.

At least Kihyun’s cooking bought some kind of liveliness back to the group.

After dinner, they returned to their new rooms, this time, to their relief, separated into two smaller bedrooms. Shownu, Hyungwon, and Wonho in one and the rest in the other.

Though they didn’t show much of a reaction, it was clear to Shownu that Hyungwon and Wonho were delighted to share the same room. It contrasted hugely with his discontent of not being able to talk with Kihyun. Apparently Kihyun still didn’t want to get too close to Shownu. The last conversation they had felt incomplete, at least to him. Maybe he just missed Kihyun.

There were speakers right next to the bed, which was very questionable. After a bit of discussion they concluded that they were there to wake them up next morning in a cruel way yet again. 

Shownu lied on his bed, back facing Hyungwon and Wonho’s shared bunk bed and staring into the wall, doing nothing in particular while waiting for his hair to dry. A bathroom was provided, with towels and all the necessities. At least he had that to be thankful for. He turned around when he felt a presence behind him.

“I believe we have to talk.” Shownu sat up and looked at Wonho, stealing a glance at Hyungwon who was sitting on the bed opposite of him.

Shownu scratched his head and exhaled longer than necessary to hide his annoyed sigh. “Why?” He scrambled for his phone, which was sitting next to him on the soft mattress, and flipped it over for Wonho to see. “It’s almost midnight, I would want to sleep as soon as my hair dries so I can get enough rest, presuming we would have to wake up at 6am tomorrow just like last time, thank you very much.”

Wonho ignored the polite request and shook his head. “We didn’t finish our conversation last time, remember?”

Again, Shownu had to look away to keep any rude comments or complaints to himself. At least for now, when it wasn’t absolutely necessary. When he found some inner peace, he turned back and put on his most apologetic look he could manage. “Yes, I’m aware, but I’m tired. Like, exhausted. I’m sure you are too, including your friend behind you. Can’t we just talk tomorrow?” He yawned, adding to the effect. Of course, he really just wanted to avoid continuing the conversation. But it wasn’t exactly a lie; every single drop of energy had been depleted of him.

Wonho wasn’t taking any of it, despite having to yawn himself. “No we can’t, we’ll forget again. There won’t be any other chances after the last game. We’ll most likely separate and go our ways after we finally leave this place. There is no better chance than this.” 

This time, Shownu gave up on hiding his emotions, rolling his eyes and sighing simultaneously. “Why now? You had the whole afternoon to talk, plus dinnertime. Why didn’t you find me then?”

“Because I didn’t want anybody listening. You know what happened last time. It’s very inconvenient with people around. Besides, I’m sure you can tell that the atmosphere wasn’t the best for talking.” Wonho replied.

Shownu would usually be a nice person, but he gets really grumpy in the night, especially when he is very sleepy. The way Wonho talked got on Shownu’s nerves, increasing his ever-lasting desire to shout, or even better so, punch something, preferably Wonho himself. But he knew better than to use violence in this situation. There were actually a few reasons that stopped him from doing so. First, he was, and intended to keep on living up to his promise of not hitting anyone except if it was for self-defence. Second, no one would like a violent person, and he still hoped to win Kihyun back. Third, though he cared least about this one, no violence was one of Smiley’s rules. 

“Fine, let’s get this over with.” Shownu said, standing up so Wonho wouldn’t be towering over him. “Where were we last time?” 

“I told you that you were hurting Hyungwon, and you asked me whether I wanted you to apologize.” Wonho recited perfectly from memory. “And my answer is yes.”

Maybe it was just him being moody, but a certain stubbornness forbade Shownu to comply. “But that doesn’t mean I have to listen to you. I don’t apologize for something I think was the right thing to do.”

Wonho snorted. “Are you saying you think hurting someone’s feelings is the right thing to do?” Hyungwon sat nearer to the edge of the bed, ready to stop either of them if things get heated. He wanted to believe that the two adults in front of him knew what they were doing, but he still stayed alert just in case.

“No, I’m saying it was right to question Hyungwon’s actions. I was right that Hyungwon should take most of the blame that we are here.” Shownu said calmly, controlling his volume and temper, trying to reason with Wonho in a mannered way, even though it took all of his resources to do that. “I really didn’t want to bring this up again, but you asked, so I’m going to answer honestly. Hyungwon shouldn’t have agreed to a stranger that easily. I can’t stop thinking that you and I, plus Jooheon, wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Hyungwon.”

Hyungwon felt slightly hurt from hearing Shownu’s honest opinion of himself, but it filled him with guilt more than anything. Hyungwon knew Shownu was right, he hated himself all throughout the game, and he knew he never stopped hating himself, despite what he and everyone else kept telling him. He wanted to tell Wonho that it was okay, that Shownu didn’t have to apologize, but Wonho beat him to it.

“See, this is what I’m saying. Are you even listening to what you’re saying? Those are very hurtful words, and you’re saying it like Hyungwon isn’t even here.” Hyungwon noted that Wonho didn’t even turn around after saying it, so Wonho was also talking as if he was invisible. He kept quiet about that observation.

Now the desire to get back to bed flamed up like alcohol added to fire. “Look, I know you’re trying to defend Hyungwon. You’re good friends, and I get how it feels-”

“No, you don’t get it.” Wonho said, volume rose, threatening to shout. “You think I’m only on Hyungwon’s side because he’s my friend, but I’m not. I’m on his side because he isn’t what you think he is. He’s nice, he didn’t bring us here on purpose. It isn’t his fault.”

Shownu felt like the argument was going in circles, looping back towards the starting point constantly. His brain was screaming at him to stop. It was too much. He was really tired.

“I know it isn’t his fault. Listen to me, Wonho, you’re not getting the point. I’m not saying it’s his fault, I was just trying to explain to you why I said those things this afternoon. I was trying to justify what I said. I didn’t intend on blaming Hyungwon on everything. Those words weren’t directed you, but you decided to answer them. You were overreacting.”

Wonho raised his arms, hands squeezed into fists, breathing heavily. He looked very close to punching Shownu, and Hyungwon stood up for quick actions if needed, but Wonho paced around instead, steps hurried and each thump on the floor an echo of his frustration.

He stopped in front of Shownu again after two circles around the room. “Why do you have to bring that up?” He said, voice back to normal. “Can’t you just hate on Smiley, who everyone hates anyways, or be like Jooheon, who kept quiet even though Hyungwon invited him too?” Wonho was pushing away the anger the best he could, and Shownu was glad to see the self-control in the others eyes. At least there was a less chance of a fight now. He didn’t want to wake the other people from the other room, assuming they are already asleep in this hour of the night (technically morning).

“Jooheon cares too much about how other people feel about him to speak out. He would never talk to Hyungwon, even if he blamed Hyungwon.”

“You’re saying like you know Jooheon blames Hyungwon as much as you do. Why can’t he be a nice kid who’s actually considerate and empathize for Hyungwon?” Wonho said, more quietly now, as if he wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Which wasn’t far from the truth, because Shownu also sensed that the conversation was taking a weird turn, the focus shifting towards something else. 

“He can definitely be that.” It was turning into a discussion, about Jooheon, which was weird but Shownu continued, having something else to say. “He is a really naïve person. Still young.”

Behind them, Hyungwon sat back on the bed and was starting to doze off, missing his favourite activity – sleeping. Suddenly the door clicked open quietly, startling him and making him jump.

Shownu was confused to see Kihyun poke through the gap. “Kihyun?”

“Hi.” Kihyun answered, almost whispering.

Wonho said nothing, staring at Kihyun and wondering why he decided it was acceptable to enter someone else’s room past midnight, without permission.

“Wait, did you eavesdrop on us?” Wonho narrowed his eyes and asked.

Kihyun opened the door completely and stood in the doorway. “Yea, I’m sorry. I was leaning on it and the door opened by itself…”

“What’s so interesting about our conversation?” Wonho asked, curiosity taking over annoyance from invasion of privacy.

“Well, I passed by and heard you guys talking about Jooheon, and I can’t help but think you guys are idiots.” Kihyun explained, trying not to laugh at his own words.

“What?” Shownu asked.

“What?” Wonho said, almost in unison with Shownu. They were both more confused than angry.

“You guys were arguing over nothing. The argument was useless. You started in the wrong direction from the very beginning.” Kihyun stepped forward, now inside the room. “Both of you want to leave this place, but you never realized why you’re here the first place.”

“That’s what we were arguing over about,” Wonho said, correcting Kihyun. “Maybe you just didn’t hear us. And why are sounding like a philosopher or something?”

“No, it was never Hyungwon’s fault you’re here.” Kihyun replied, looking at Hyungwon momentarily. “You would never had ended up here if you didn’t accept Hyungwon’s invitation.”

The point was made. Realization washed over Wonho and Shownu. Hyungwon looked at Kihyun in amazement.

“But wait, Hyungwon was lying to us.” Wonho said, genuinely curious about the philosophy behind this.

“Yes, and you chose to believe those lies.” Kihyun replied, a grin on his face, obviously knowing something that no one else in the room knew about. “Jooheon didn’t say anything to Hyungwon, didn’t say anything about hating Smiley, didn’t say anything about blaming anyone, because he was blaming himself. He hated himself for believing Hyungwon that day. He hated himself for coming here with his own legs, for coming here at his own will.”

Wonho had nothing else to say. He was left speechless, like Shownu was.

Kihyun continued. “He said that himself just now, he told us we were different, because unlike you, Minhyuk, Changkyun and I didn’t have a choice. We were taken here. Forcefully.” Kihyun yawned.

“So the person you should be blaming, is yourself.”


	16. Nighttime #2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the calm before the storm...

“Do you mind if we share this bunk bed?” Minhyuk asked, sitting right next to Jooheon on the lower bed, so close their thighs were almost touching.

The memory of Minhyuk’s confession resurfaced in Jooheon’s mind, causing him to blush slightly. He edged just a tiny bit away, enough to create a bigger space but not obvious enough to show his discomfort.

Jooheon didn’t want to say it, or to rub it into Minhyuk’s face, but he was a terrible liar. He couldn’t lie for god’s sake. Even the tiniest lie could be very obvious, as long as he was the one who said it. Everyone he knew had at least said to him once, “I can read you like a book.”

So he had no choice but to say the truth.

“Sorry, I…Changkyun and I, we planned to share one.” Jooheon’s cheeks were painted red, and thinking about the heat just made them a shade darker. He was lucky Changkyun was in the bathroom, but having Kihyun sitting right across them wasn’t much of a help.

Minhyuk pouted, and Jooheon braced himself for the most embarrassing moment of his life. “Fine, but that doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying.” Minhyuk smiled and Jooheon tried to smile back in the friendliest way possible so Minhyuk wouldn’t misunderstand. He begged silently in his heart for Minhyuk to leave, but he leaned in closer instead, leaving Jooheon frozen in place. 

“One day we’re going to share a bed and it’s not going to be a bunk bed.” Minhyuk whispered, hot breath tickling Jooheon’s ear. 

Jooheon widened his eyes, feeling helpless as his whole body heating up like he was placed into an oven. He had to squeeze his eyes and clench his fists so tight the skin turned white, in order to stop himself for giving any reaction. There weren’t the only people in the room, and he had no idea of knowing whether Changkyun was back without turning around. This never happened to him before, and the only thing he wanted to do now was to dig a hole and jump in. 

“Jooheon-hyung? Why is your face red? Is it hot in here?” Changkyun was standing at the doorway, drying his hair with a towel. Ignoring Minhyuk the best he could, Jooheon looked towards Changkyun. He probably looked really silly considering how flustered he felt. Nevertheless, Jooheon was temporarily mesmerized by how attractive Changkyun looked with wet hair, his heart already beating miles per hour.

Snapping back to reality and realizing how close Minhyuk still was, Jooheon scooted away hastily and shook his head, chuckling shyly. “No, I’m fine. Maybe it’s just too dry in here.” His hands reached up instinctively to cup his cheeks.

Changkyun shrugged and looked away, busying himself with the towel on his head. He had yet to get used to the memory of Jooheon confessing every time their gazes met, which wasn’t going to end well if his body kept reacting by sending blood up to his cheeks. 

There was an awkward silence when no one knew what to say, the only sound being the constant whirring sound in Jooheon’s head, mind racing to think of a way to get Minhyuk off the bed in the most casual and least suspecting way. But he was one step late, and Changkyun beat him to it, which Jooheon wasn’t sure, was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Minhyuk-hyung, can you give me back my place?” Minhyuk turned to look at Changkyun. “Or do you want me to switch beds? I don’t mind.” He released the towel from his grip and let it hand across his shoulders, looking at Minhyuk expectantly.

Jooheon didn’t want this topic to be brought up again, but he had no control over it. To Jooheon’s surprise the weight next to him was lifted, and Minhyuk stood up. “Oh no, it’s okay, I’ll leave.” He gestured Changkyun to sit. “I will get a chance to share a bed with Jooheon next time!”

Jooheon got flustered again and would’ve blushed in front of everyone if it weren’t for his nails digging into his palms. He smiled as Changkyun took a seat next to him, lying down on the bed and closing his eyes to rest, towel still around his neck. 

Since Jooheon had nothing to do, the silence was about to get awkward again. He looked at Kihyun so he wouldn’t have to look at Minhyuk or stare into nothing and look like a fool. Kihyun was reading a book borrowed from the bookshelf just next to the door of the bedroom. As if he sensed Jooheon’s gaze, Kihyun closed the book with one hand and looked up, talking for the first time since he entered the room.

“Since none of you look like you’ll sleep yet, I have something to ask.” Kihyun talked slowly, voice deep and almost sulky, all of his positive emotions drained away by the horrendous events from the past day and a half. “We came here without choice, but it’s different with you Jooheon. I really want to know what happened.”

Jooheon wasn’t expecting the question to be directed to him, but everyone was looking at him intently, and even Changkyun sat up to join in.

Jooheon cleared his throat, thinking about something that turned out to be meaningless. There was nothing to hide, and Jooheon always welcomed the opportunity to share stories since he was just a child, so there was no reason to keep quiet.

“Well, I was just waiting for my friends for a football game, when Hyungwon approached me and asked me to join a game.”

Jooheon explained everything without missing out anything, starting from his friends who ditched him last minute, to the moment he arrived the very building he was in and made the most terrifying choice of his life.

The moment his last word was said, everyone started asking questions, wide awake despite the time of day (well, night) and desperate to know more. Jooheon decided to answer them in chronological order, starting from Kihyun’s question. 

“Wait, so he told you there was a football match here?” Kihyun’s eyes twinkled with curiosity, as if Jooheon’s story made everything better than it really was.

Jooheon nodded and sighed at the memory. “I was quite disappointed to be honest. I was really expecting something when I arrived here, but instead I had to…” Jooheon lost his voice in between, looking down at his lap, surrendering to the haunting memories floating in his head. Changkyun placed his hand on top of Jooheon’s and gave it a comforting squeeze. Jooheon didn’t want to admit it before, but he instantly felt better, which forced him to contemplate how hard he was falling for Changkyun.

“It’s ok, Hyungwon is fine now. You made the right choice. You stayed to play so you could save someone’s life. I wouldn’t know, but it must be scary, and that’s why you should forget it. It’s the past, and the past isn’t important. Forget about it.” Minhyuk said, clearly wanting to get Jooheon’s attention.

Jooheon gave Minhyuk a small smile, wishing he could forget about it like Minhyuk said. But forgetting was never easy, especially if you _want_ to forget it. Life is weird. And cruel, depending on the memory you’re trying to erase. In this case, life seemed cruel, horrible, mean, unfair, merciless, and unforgiving, to Jooheon. The fact that he could still recall every single word he heard and movement he witnessed told him he was definitely stuck with the horrible memories for the rest of his life.

“It’s sad though, how your friends ditched you last minute. Can you even call them your friends?” Changkyun asked. Jooheon could tell he was trying to lighten the mood and change the topic. 

“Well, it depends on the reason why they ditched you.” Minhyuk answered for Jooheon, Kihyun nodding quietly next to him. 

“Yea you’re right.” Jooheon said, happy to forget about Hyungwon and the choice he had to make, for now. 

He smiled when he remembered the text messages he received that day. “Their reasons are acceptable, at least for my standards. It was a Sunday, and all of them forgot to do an assignment due the next day. The group chat went crazy with capital letters and swear words. My phone lagged a few times.”

Kihyun smiled too and shook his head, reminiscing in his own school days. “I was probably like one of your friends back when I was at school, but now that I looked back, I don’t get what I was thinking. Why was I wasting so much time typing messages, instead of actually doing the homework?” 

Everyone laughed at the relatable comment, forgetting about the real world for a split second and enjoying the time to socialize casually like normal people would do. 

Though the place there were in and the situation they were facing was far from normal. 

“It was still shocking though, it came literally the last minute, and we were just hanging out on Saturday, the day before.” Jooheon added. 

“Calm before the storm.” Minhyuk said, almost conspirationally.

Jooheon chuckled. “Well, I don’t think them ditching me is as serious as a storm.”

In less than a second Kihyun’s smile was wiped off and his face turned serious. “It was a storm. You came here, didn’t you? It’s _still_ a storm.” 

Temporarily stunned by what Kihyun said, Jooheon blinked multiple times before giving a response. “Yea.” He smiled bitterly and looked at his lap again, where his hands were laying lifelessly. 

“Call me naïve,” Jooheon continued, looking back up with a slightly wider grin. “But I’m happy enough to have a reason to smile right now. Focus on the good things, right? I’m happy enough to be sitting here talking with you. You have no idea how bad I felt after all those games we had to play today. It felt like I had to carry two walls on my back. I was afraid I couldn’t sleep, but now I don’t have to worry anymore.” 

Jooheon caught Kihyun staring particularly intensely, eyes filled with shadows despite the small smile on his face. “I wish I can be like you.” Kihyun sighed, looking away, disappointment on his face. “I wish I can stop being upset over such a small thing.” 

Minhyuk looked confused for a mere second before reading the situation. “Are you talking about…how you ended up here? Technically, Shownu brought you here.”

Changkyun was scared his friend said something wrong yet again, but Kihyun looked fine, relieved, even. Maybe he was glad someone understood. “I…he said sorry, but I’m not sure. I don’t know what to think. It feels too easy if I forgive him just like that, but it feels wrong to keep holding a grudge against it. Besides, we…our relationship is very complicated.” It was obvious to everyone else, how Kihyun was struggling to look for the right words, trying even harder to say everything out loud. 

“That’s why I don’t get it.” Kihyun continued. “You never seem to be complaining. You look…so calm, I guess. It’s like you have nothing to worry about. Don’t you hate Hyungwon, like Wonho and Shownu does? Or Smiley, or even your friends, who ditched you? Don’t you blame anyone? Like everyone else is trying to do?” 

Changkyun and Minhyuk plunged deep into thought, contemplating about the obvious problem that was only considered when Kihyun had pointed it out just now.

As if he was prepared the whole life to answer this question, Jooheon smiled and replied without hesitation. “Well, there’s only one answer to all of your questions. I don’t complain, I don’t blame anyone, I don’t hate Hyungwon, not Smiley, and certainly not my friends, simply because, I’m hating myself.”

Kihyun tilted his head, Minhyuk and Changkyun looking back, all listening intently till the end before asking questions. 

“It’s all my fault. I chose to stand in the park that day, I chose to hang out with my friends that day. I chose to stare at my phone idiotically instead of walking away when I found out my friends ditched me. I chose to be nice to a stranger that invited me to a game, I chose to accept the stranger’s offer, and I chose to walk here, myself, on my own will, with my own feet, to this building.

“I chose to play this game. I chose my fate.”

With that, all questions that Changkyun, Minhyuk and Kihyun had, was gone, disappeared into thin air.

Kihyun left the room, leaving the others to talk about whatever they had to talk about that involved Jooheon blushing every few seconds, and paced around the hallway.

“…be like Jooheon, who kept quiet even though Hyungwon invited him too?”

Kihyun stopped when he heard Wonho’s voice.

-

Minhyuk woke up with a jump when he heard a soft thump. He was sensitive with noises, especially when he was a light sleeper in the middle of sleeping. He glanced around from the top bunk, realizing he would never see anything if he didn’t get up properly. As slowly as possible so to make as little shuffling as he could, he slid his hands under the thin sheets and found leverage on the wooden railings right next to him. He bent his legs and at the same time lifted himself up, sitting back slightly and settling down with minimal noise. No one moved a single muscle, which should mean no one heard him.

He looked to the right first, then downwards when nothing caught his eyes.

If it weren’t for the railings, he would’ve dropped off the bed trying to reach Jooheon. And if it weren’t for his quick thinking, he would have shouted, which would’ve pissed Kihyun and Changkyun off a great deal.

Minhyuk carefully climbed down the ladder and tiptoed towards Jooheon, who was sprawled across the floor. The door was wide open too, but Minhyuk left that alone for now.

With one hand he nudged Jooheon lightly until his eyes flickered open, then he mouthed “Are you okay?”, enunciating each word slowly.

Jooheon frowned and blinked repeatedly to get rid of his fatigue, before sitting up with the help of Minhyuk. He nodded and tried to stand up, but he barely got onto his two feet when he fell immediately back on the floor in Minhyuk’s hands.

“Come on, I will carry you to the bed.” Minhyuk said, whispering the words into Jooheon’s ear. “Tell me what happened.” He smiled; telling Jooheon everything was going to be fine.

Jooheon sat down on the soft mattress and held his head with his hand, eyes closed, trying to recover from the dizziness. “Oh my god, my head…I feel really dizzy, ugh. Sorry for falling onto you just now. I know I’m heavy.”

Minhyuk chuckled silently, mouth open and shoulders shaking. He patted Jooheon’s back and shook his head. “You’re not heavy.” _I wouldn’t mind if you fall onto me again._ “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need a cup of water?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.” Jooheon rejected politely. “To answer your question, I wasn’t sure what happened either. I was going to the washroom when I saw someone walk pass our door. I almost collided into them.” Jooheon looked towards the door instinctively.

“Them?” Minhyuk asked.

“Yea, there were two people.”

“Who were they?” Minhyuk was curious, but he kept his voice down.

“I think one of them was Wonho, and he was following somebody else, but it was too dark to see, and the gap from the door was too small.” Jooheon shuddered slightly, as if he was telling a horror story.

“Maybe it was someone else from the other room. They were probably just going to the toilet or something.” Minhyuk said, holding Jooheon’s hand comfortingly. “But what happened? Why were you on the floor?”

Jooheon froze suddenly, remembering. “He…he hit me.”

Minhyuk widened his eyes, too shocked to react accordingly.

“So I don’t think they were the others from next door. It’s like they didn’t want me to see what they were doing, but from what I know they were just walking back from the washroom, right? There shouldn’t be anything to hide.”

Minhyuk recovered for his shock and placed an arm around Jooheon, half-hugging the shivering man. Jooheon didn’t pull away, so Minhyuk pulled him into a full embrace, whispering soothing words over and over again until Jooheon dozed off. 

**10 minutes ago**

“Where are you going?” Hyungwon muttered, still drowsy from his interrupted sleep. He was woken up by Wonho climbing down the ladder, his hand now clenched tightly around Wonho’s shirt to stop him.

Wonho placed a finger on his lips and shushed him. “I’m just going to the toilet, go back to sleep.”

Instead of listening, Hyungwon got up as quickly as possible, as if he was afraid Wonho would disappear forever the moment he left the room. “I’ll go with you.”

Wonho shrugged and head out the door, turning left and passing Jooheon’s room.

Suddenly Hyungwon grabbed Wonho and brought him into a halt. Wonho turned around in surprise and confusion. “What?”

“I’ve been wanting to ask this, and I know this isn’t the best timing, but I keep forgetting, so I have to ask now.” Hyungwon explained, unable to resist the sudden urge to ask the question that was lingering in his mind for a while now. “What would you get, if you win the game, and if you are actually allowed to get whatever you want?”

Wonho smiled, finding the whole situation cute. “You’re one of a kind, Hyungwon. Why a serious question in the earliest hours of the morning? It has to be around 5am by now.”

Hyungwon released his grip on Wonho’s hand, flustered. “Fine, don’t answer if you don’t want to.”

Wonho walked closer, grin getting wider, turning into a disconcerting grin. “I don’t have to win. I already got what I want.” Wonho winked and turned around, heading to the washroom alone. He raised his hand and waved Hyungwon away. “Go back to sleep, you still have one hour before they wake you up.”

Hyungwon was still processing Wonho’s words, unable to make any sense out of it. He cocked his head, but reluctantly turned back and returned to his room. Getting back in bed was the priority here.

At least, he thought it was the priority.

Because when he woke up the next morning, Wonho’s bed was untouched, sheets threw at the side as it was just an hour ago, and Wonho was nowhere to be seen.

He never realized getting Wonho back to the room together was the real priority.

\- 

The speakers blasted into Minhyuk’s ears, waking him up with pure shock, his body jolting in natural response. He pressed his palms against his ears and saw that Changkyun was suffering from a similar predicament. 

“The fuck?” Minhyuk tried shouting over the loud music, lyrics repeating “wake up” over and over again. But he had to admit that it wasn’t a bad song. He would actually like it if he weren’t exposed to it in such a threatening way for his first time.

From the top bunk he saw Kihyun sitting on his bed, hair neatly styled and face thoroughly washed. He must’ve woken up earlier than anyone else and washed up already. He was unfazed by the loud music, staring quietly in front of him, just below Minhyuk’s location, where Jooheon’s bed was supposed to be.

Minhyuk looked across and saw Changkyun on the other side, eyes darting around, frustrated by the noise. When it arrived to the area below Minhyuk, the black orbs stopped abruptly, face washed over with confusion.

Minhyuk climbed down the ladder, skipping the last few steps and landing on the ground with a thump. “Why that face, Changky-” He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Jooheon’s empty bed. “Where’s Jooheon?” Minhyuk looked from Changkyun to Kihyun, finally settling his gaze on the latter, trusting Kihyun to know more since he woke up earlier.

“I don’t know.” Kihyun replied simply, still staring at Jooheon’s bed, voice devoid of emotion as if something was bothering him that wasn’t affecting the other two in the room.

“Maybe he went to the washroom.” Changkyun said, thinking logically.

Minhyuk was about to reply when he nearly got a heart attack the second time in 10 minutes. A door slammed loudly from outside, probably from Hyungwon’s room. Just a few seconds later, hurried footsteps got increasing louder and their door was opened forcefully as well.

“Have you seen Wonho?” The opened door revealed a desperate Hyungwon, beads of sweat on his forehead, uneven breaths escaping his mouth. “I checked the bathroom, he isn’t there.” 

“No, he’s not here. Jooheon isn’t here either. He wasn’t in the washroom?” Changkyun asked, climbing down from the bed too. The song ended. The room was filled with silence and the occasional panting of Hyungwon.

Shownu appeared behind Hyungwon, a hand running over his hair, a deep frown matching his troubled expression. “Something’s wrong. 

“Yea, no kidding.” Kihyun said, standing up. He remembered the comparatively “peaceful” evening before.

“It was all just calm before the storm.”


	17. Game ???

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The storm stroke hard.
> 
> Can Changkyun help the other six with his clever mind?

The storm came in the form of a scream that stabbed through the disconcerting silence.

Kihyun wasn’t sure which one was scarier, the high-pitched scream that penetrates the silence, or the fact that it made his skin crawl. It was probably the latter seeing how it felt like a thousand ants colonized on every inch of exposed skin.

The scream definitely came from a male’s voice. The thought of the person being one of the missing contestants didn’t necessarily calm Kihyun, although it did mean that they were still in the same building, and not exactly missing. Not yet, anyways. There was no way of telling what was happening to that person, but it did create some sort of relief knowing the screech sounded it was released out of shock more than out of terror or agony.

Kihyun’s first instinct was to run out the door, towards the source of the sound, towards the person who needed help, the person who was very likely to be either Jooheon or Wonho. But it was no use, his body was frozen in place, too tensed up to make any kind of action. 

Another scream ripped through the air. This time it sounded deeper, like a howl, but it was no less terrifying from the previous one. Whatever was happening to the first person was happening again to another victim. They jolted, stumbled, as if a mini earthquake was set off. But Kihyun stayed unmoving, paralyzed. 

Shownu was the first to move. It was hard to focus with fear blinding his senses, but Kihyun saw a moving figure right in front of him. Shownu had eyebrows so furrowed it must’ve turned sore from the exertion. He turned around and said something to Hyungwon, sending him off running down the corridor. Then he entered the room and gradually everyone snapped of their initial shock and joined Hyungwon, chasing away their fears and running towards where they thought the sound came from.

Kihyun felt people sped past him, and he tried to shove away the terror inside so he too could do some help. It took him a moment to realize his trembling legs weren’t going to do anything useful. No matter how hard he tried, waves and waves of despair and fear crashed down onto him every time he had just dried himself of the water. It was swallowing him whole. He was drowning in terror.

Despite the overwhelming amount of pressure in him, he couldn’t stop hating himself. As he stared at everyone hurrying through the opened door, he couldn’t stop wondering why he was the one staying here. Why he was the one too scared to move. Why he always needed more time to recover. He remembered how long it took for him to recover from his headache. He remembered how much time he wasted trying to convince him he was fine. He remembered how long it took him to venture into the darkness of this building and join the game. Nothing could change the past. It had always been like this.

And yet he still jumped when all Shownu did was tap his shoulder.

“Kihyun, are you ok?” Kihyun looked up at Shownu’s sincere eyes and responded with a tremulous smile.

“It’s fine, we’re going to find them. Whoever screamed…they are going to be okay. You can stay here if you want. If you need me, I can stay here with you. Everything will be fine.” The way Shownu said it made it seem whatever he said was going to be the truth. Kihyun appreciated the effort, but his heart didn’t think it was reassuring enough. But when he looked closely at Shownu’s dark eyes, he could see the warmth and care dedicated for himself. He saw understanding. While it wasn’t really the time to think of such things, Kihyun wondered silently whether that meant anything. 

Just less than two days ago, the same pair of black eyes had been staring at him with hatred and bitterness. It was an exact replica from one year ago when the most heart breaking moment of his life happened. But now those eyes had transformed. The compassion in those orbs was telling something to Kihyun. It was the same pair of eyes that had looked at him whenever he made a mistake, whenever he was doing worse than everyone else. It was the same pair of eyes that he saw everyday when they were together.

The conclusion he made did nothing other than increase his uncertainty. Had Shownu forgiven him? Had the problems been fixed finally?

It was the light squeeze on his shoulder that reminded Kihyun someone was still waiting for his respond. Instead of replying with words, he shrugged off Shownu’s grip and wrapped his arms around the firm body, burying his face into the warm chest.

“Everything will be fine, we will go through this together. All seven of us.” Because of the height difference, Shownu was able to rest his chin on Kihyun’s head, burying the small one even further into his embrace.

Kihyun smiled against the familiar chest and allowed tears to streak down his cheeks, realizing how much he missed the feeling.

They only broke away when someone came running back, a desperate edge in his trembling voice. “Shownu, Kihyun, w-we found t-them…J-Jooheon and Wonho.” Kihyun wiped away his tears and saw Changkyun gulp. He was struggling to breathe, let alone talk.

Unsurprisingly, Shownu managed to stay calm. “Slow down Changkyun, bring us to them. Tell us what happened.” Shownu said, taking the lead and placing a hand on Changkyun’s back once he got close enough. Kihyun followed, shoving away the emotional events moments ago and tried to focus on the task at hands.

Changkyun led both of them down the corridor; turning right twice and entering a room that seemed too out of place, to say the least.

The walls were white, the floor was white, the ceiling was white, the chairs were white, and the lights were white. Everything was white. And the room was brightly lit.

Kihyun had to blink multiple times and rub them a good amount before he was ready to take in the surroundings. There were two huge TV screens on the wall to the left of the entrance, currently turned off. Next to those TVs were two white doors with white handles and white frames, directly opposite of each other. If the screens were the front of the room the doors would be on the left and right of the room. On the back of the room was a huge couch, and right in front of it were five chairs arranged in a circle. The only thing that seemed out of place in the room was the slightly off-white box rested next to the entrance.

Kihyun cursed as he almost tripped over the box, stumbling and catching himself before making a fool of himself. Despite all the places to sit on, everyone was standing right in front of the couch. Kihyun understood how they felt. It wasn’t the time to sit and relax.

“Where are they?” Shownu asked, grabbing everyone’s attention, which was previously on the TV screens.

“In the rooms.” Changkyun replied quietly. As if to confirm, more shouts came from the other side of the doors. They weren’t as loud as the first ones, but it was enough to send shivers down everyone’s spine.

From the way they were standing, Kihyun could tell that Hyungwon and Minhyuk were affected the most. Visibly shuddering, it was clear the amount of effort trying to fight their weakened demeanours. Their faces were paler than anyone else in the room, maybe even pale enough to camouflage with the walls. Their eyes were filled with urgency, despair, and anxiety. But the one that stuck out most was anger. From the fists that kept clenching and unclenching, Kihyun could tell they were ready to punch the screens if they didn’t turn on and tell them what was going on soon. 

Luckily, damages and violent acts could be spared as the screens flickered on, revealing the familiar yellow mask. That was now ripped in half. Not that they cared what he looked like anyway. Kihyun wondered why the mask was broken, and how. That mask looked like plastic. He could be wrong, but the TV could only hide so much. Could plastic get ripped off solely by human hands? He thought the owner himself might’ve done it, but it didn’t sound right in his mind. The familiar cackling of the speakers turning on reminded Kihyun the mask wasn’t the most important thing right now. And neither were the host’s mediocre facial features.

Before Smiley got to say anything, Hyungwon shouted, not caring if they could actually be heard. “What did you do to Wonho and Jooheon?” Hyungwon tightened his jaw, clenching his teeth. He stood closest to the screen and was edging closer with every passing moment, only stopping when the chairs became an obstacle.

Everyone had to cover at least one of their ears when Smiley started speaking. The static noises were stinging their ears, but everyone struggled and strained to hear whatever Smiley had to say. They couldn’t afford to miss out even a single word. Not if they wanted to do this correctly and preferably, quickly as well. 

The noise got even worse when Smiley started talking. For all they knew Smiley probably “broke” the speakers on purpose. “Good morning contestants! I am sorry that there would be no time for breakfast, but I guarantee this game will be so exciting that you forget about your hunger.” Smiley stopped, giving a bit of mercy to their ears. Kihyun himself was having a hard time swallowing back words, afraid that he would cover over important information if he did. He glanced at Hyungwon and Minhyuk and couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for them to stay quiet. 

“As promised, this is the bonus game I talked about yesterday. I’m sure you are all smart enough to figure out who are in the rooms to your left and right. Don’t worry, they are not in danger. Not really, anyways.” Smiley laughed as he fumbled with the controls loudly and switched the screens to live footage of two cameras.

Gasps filled the room, but they were afraid and too petrified to make any more noise. Smiley stopped talking, giving time for the contestants to look at the screens clearly. With uncertain legs, they trod on the white floor covered in soft carpet, each step getting harder the closer they get to the black TV screens.

It took them a while to realize that it was not a good sight.

Hyungwon’s eyes were glued to the screen on the right. At first glance all he saw was the colour of clue skies with white clouds dotting all over the place. Then he noticed the grey structure protruding from the bottom of the screen, all the way towards the centre. There was nothing there, not one sign that told him the approximate location of whatever he was shown. He wasn’t sure what he was looking at.

His confusion only grew further when he saw another, separate screen at the top left corner. The red blinking dot told Hyungwon it was live footage, probably from the room right next to him. On that screen he had to squint and focus hard to see the dark figure huddled at the corner of the room. He recognized the muscular figure and realized it was Wonho. The sight of Wonho being in no immediate danger made Hyungwon sigh with relief.

“Hey everyone, Wonho is in the room on the right, and it looks like he’s safe.” Hyungwon turned around and pointed towards the screen, letting everyone see better. Minhyuk joined the crowd too, learning nothing from the blackness on his screen. “I don’t understand what’s this though…oh it’s touch screen?” Hyungwon accidentally touched the screen when explaining, switching the cameras around. Now the live footage of Wonho’s room was taking up most of the screen.

“What is this game anyways? Are we supposed to rescue them from the rooms?” Changkyun, trying the white handles on the white door closest to him. He didn’t know what he expected, but it was locked. He was about to try the other one when Shownu almost knocked him over while rushing towards the screen. 

Changkyun balanced himself and waited for Shownu to explain his hurried actions.

“What’s wrong?” Hyungwon asked, who was also pushed aside by Shownu. 

Shownu pointed towards the screen with a trembling finger. Kihyun eyed him nervously, pupils quivering as if he could already sense the severity of Shownu’s upcoming words. “He’s not safe. Something’s wrong.”

Hyungwon frowned and walked even closer to the screen, trying to understand what Shownu said. “What do you mean?”

Anyone standing next to Shownu would see his jaw tighten. Kihyun saw it too, knowing that it meant he was struggling to talk, afraid to say whatever was in his mind. He knew something was indeed wrong. Despite the dread in him, Kihyun wished Shownu could hurry up and explain so the tension could be lifted.

Finally Shownu raised his finger again and pointed at Wonho specifically this time. He started with a calm and steady tone, but the underlying anxiety resurfaced as he explained. “He’s trembling. And he’s mouth is moving. We can’t hear whatever he’s saying. If not words, than the noise he’s making.” Hyungwon had to stare for a few seconds before he was able to confirm Shownu’s words. It was remarkable how Shownu made out the details since the room was almost pitch black and the camera wasn’t in night vision mode. 

“Is he scared of something?” Kihyun stood farthest away but trusted what Shownu said. “Or is he cold? Is there something in the dark room that’s scaring him?”

Kihyun didn’t like how he talked just now. His habit was to voice out any speculations he had as quickly as possible as an attempt to cover up his fear. Maybe his brain thought saying those thoughts out would make them true. 

Rattling noises broke the deadly silence as Changkyun returned to the door handle, anxiety gnawing at him. Minhyuk paced back and forth the screens, trying desperately to decipher whatever was on the other screen. A live footage of the other room was also shown, but he couldn’t even find Jooheon because of the dark clothes he wore. He realized it was all a futile attempt after three rounds and stopped. He needed Shownu’s help, but two problems at once would be way too much to handle. 

“Wait, he’s wearing something.” Hyungwon said almost excitedly, stomach coiling at the new discovery. He had no idea what the discovery meant. “I think it’s covering his eyes. It’s above his mouth.” Hyungwon moved aside to let everyone else analyse whatever he saw. He didn’t realize how hard a task it was with his trembling legs and the strong desire to stay close and monitor Wonho’s movement in case he needed help. He wanted to look after the person he believed was his first love. Or at least the person that was closest to fitting that description.

Running over Hyungwon’s words, something clicked into Changkyun’s mind. The rattling of the door handle finally ended. He knew those words sounded familiar.

“I know what he’s wearing.” Changkyun said loudly. “He’s playing virtual reality.”

Realization and understanding flashed across some faces, but others looked even more confused. “I have one at home and I played on it sometimes.” 

“I’ve heard of it. It makes the user feel like they are in the actual game. But how does that explain what’s happening on the screen? Is he playing a horror game? And why don’t he just take it off if he’s scared?” Kihyun asked, moving towards the screen. Everything looked sinister. He wanted to make sure what Changkyun said was right, but there was no way of knowing for sure. No one knew if it was actually a virtual reality headset to begin with. 

The puzzle pieces clicked together as everyone was still trying to figure everything out. Changkyun almost broke his finger turning the screen back to the original format. The blue sky and grey structure returned. “This has to be what Wonho is looking at. Maybe he’s on the grey tower thing.” 

Shownu raised his eyebrows, weighing the possibility of Changkyun’s predictions.

“Fuck, I wish he would just tell us what we’re supposed to do. This is the last game and yet we don’t even know what is happening.” Minhyuk finally spoke, spitting out words through gritted teeth. He didn’t like the minutes ticking away while they were trying to make sense of the whole situation. But it was the only way to make any progress. He had to wait, even if Jooheon and Wonho were in locked rooms and no one knew what might happen to them. 

He decided to try opening the box right next to the entrance, even though he had tried it when he first came in. It was locked, which also meant important things were inside. Maybe the instructions were in there. At one point it got so frustrating he tried to lift the whole box so he could throw it across the room and hopefully break it. However, of course the box weighed a thousand tons. Or maybe it was just permanently attached to the floor. Either way, Minhyuk didn’t think he was strong enough to throw it a significant distance across. 

Changkyun scratched his head, trying to remember anything that could possibly explain what the screens showed them. It seemed like a joke to him that this was the only room without the same vending machine they saw in every other room they entered before this. He couldn’t get even a sip water when he needed it the most. 

Changkyun looked at Hyungwon’s pale face, his shoulders sagged as if he was shouldering a heavy weight. Probably the anxiety that built up into invisible stress and burden, transformed into actual weight he was forced to carry. It was a huge contrast to the Hyungwon he met two days ago. And it was definitely not the same as the person he talked to in game 4 when he tried to “guess the relationship”. Nor the person that helped him when he felt lost and confused.

Changkyun almost shouted when a memory flashed across his mind. But he gasped instead, feeling a lump starting to form in his throat. 

_“Can you believe Wonho is afraid of heights?”_ Hyungwon had said. Changkyun remembered Wonho punching him playfully like really close friends hanging out on a normal day.

_“Really?”_ He remembered himself asking, grinning when Wonho looked away in embarrassment.

He surely didn’t forget the joke he made to comfort Wonho. _“I guess you’re safe then, unless this building can fly.”_

_“You’re lucky that’s impossible.”_

Hyungwon said that last line, ending the memory there. 

Changkyun felt dizzy realizing how wrong they were back then. The building still couldn’t fly, but it didn’t have to fly after all. And Wonho definitely wasn’t safe. Not if he had serious acrophobia. He had a friend that had the same diagnosis, and things didn’t really end well for him whenever they went up a tower and looked out the window. He still remembered the wailing sirens of an ambulance stopping right in front of him. 

Bile rose up his throat as he fully comprehended what everything meant, the truth behind those screens. He scanned the room at the worried faces and quivering eyes, anxiety eating them up. He didn’t blame them. The blinding whiteness of this room was starting to mess with his brain. 

Slowly he dragged himself to the room to the left, where Jooheon was supposed to be. He gulped and pressed himself towards the white door, wanting to know how Jooheon was doing. There were no whimpers or shouts or muttering of prayers. But Changkyun knew that what he heard now meant nothing at all. Jooheon could be farther into the room, not close enough to be heard. Or he could be lying on the floor unconscious from the shock of whatever he was shown or told through the headset. Due to the lack of information, the latter was very unlikely. But it didn’t mean it wasn’t possible. 

An idea that surfaced into his mind urged his legs to move back towards the entrance where Minhyuk was. He was sitting on the floor staring at the box. He didn’t know whether the idea he had was going to make any difference. The only way to find out was to actually carry out the plan. And he knew what the first step would be. He needed help. And If anyone were going to understand immediately, it would be Minhyuk. 

“What is Jooheon most scared of?” Changkyun whispered to Minhyuk. He should be explaining everything first, but the dizziness was messing up his logical thinking. It didn’t matter anyways because Minhyuk read his face and understood.

Minhyuk looked up, examining Changkyun’s eyes, which had became dark, endless pools. Narrowing his eyes, he placed his hands on the locked box as leverage and stood up. “You know something.”

Changkyun looked around fervently before nodding timidly. “I know what’s happening. What the screens mean. I still don’t know what to do, but I don’t want to tell everyone about what I know yet. I don’t want to scare them, we are all sensitive as it is.”

Changkyun took a deep breath, forcing the rising bile back down with an audible gulp. He didn’t know what to do, other than sharing the burden of the truth to someone whom he trusted. Telling Minhyuk everything was all he could think of to do.

After that it was all on Minhyuk.


	18. Bonus Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The game has taken an ugly turn...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Author's Note]:
> 
> Buckle your seat belts because you're on a roller-coaster ride!

Behind them the rest of the contestants were starting to complain, discussing with raised voices, hoping that their anger would drown their worry.

There were a few attempts to break in the door, either with one of the 5 chairs in the centre of the room or, for the desperate ones, with their fists and shoulders. The loud bangs and thumps of material clashing against the wooden door faded within minutes, replaced by heavy panting and sharp inhaling noises.

“It’s no use, I’m pretty sure the door’s fake.” Hyungwon pointed out sullenly, muttering “fucking asshole” and looking away from the scratches on the off-white surface, which marked their depressingly futile attempts.

“That just makes things more frustrating.” Shownu replied, stating the obvious. He kicked the door one last time while cursing loudly, looking beside him at the chair he used as an attempt to break in. The intensity and fury in his eyes looked like he was about to murder the white furniture.

“Why isn’t Smiley coming back? We need the instructions. It’s supposed to be a game, right?” Kihyun said, wincing at the word ‘game’, having truly tasted the absurdity of the one-word description of the current situation. “I mean, _he_ thinks it’s a fucking game.”

No one looked at the screens anymore, too scared and confused to try deciphering the messages on them. By doing that, they successfully tricked their brains into thinking there was nothing to worry about, as long as the truth wasn’t shown to them. Took in their place were instead frustration and anger, which were emotions their limbs and mouth happily reacted to.

Changkyun was busy explaining everything to Minhyuk, stopping for a moment when he heard about the doors being fake. That might be the explanation as to why he couldn’t hear anything. But the answer was far from certain. For the sakes of both Jooheon and Wonho, he needed to know the actual one.

“What happened? Are you ok?” Minhyuk asked, shaken by what Changkyun had previously shared to him but equally worried about the despair written all over his friend’s face.

Changkyun nodded, feeling his dry lips crack when he forced a smile. Minhyuk returned it with one of his own, none less forced than Changkyun’s. “You were talking about the virtual reality headsets on those two. But I still don’t understand, why don’t they just take it off?” He wasn’t showing it, but Minhyuk was using up all his resources trying not to squirm at the images of Wonho and Jooheon stuck in a room helpless. The sole idea of it was enough to make him sweat and shake with overwhelming anxiety.

“I don’t know, but there are two possible reasons I thought of.” Changkyun’s voice was reduced to barely a whisper, as if voicing whatever was in his head was hurting his throat. He figured it wasn’t really far from the truth when he began explaining. “Either they are both too scared and traumatized to take it off, or…” The words were unable to form properly. Changkyun gulped and tried again. The possibility of his words becoming the truth was too scary.

“Or they can’t take it off. The headsets are stuck onto their heads some way or another.” 

Minhyuk covered his mouth to stifle a gasp, not wanting to grab attention just yet. “Fuck…I wish I can at least see Jooheon. Even if it’s just through a screen. It’s too dark to see shit.”

Changkyun placed a hand on Minhyuk’s shoulder, feeling it tremble slightly just like his hands were. “I’m sure he’s fine. He’s a good person.” Changkyun wasn’t sure how being a good person would help, but that was the truth. 

Minhyuk’s lips curled up a fraction of a degree but the weak smile disappeared after a split second, eyes looking at Changkyun but drifting off to elsewhere.

“Minhyuk? Are you ok?” Changkyun said, increasing his grip on the lean shoulder.

Tears pooled behind Minhyuk eyes when Changkyun brought him back to reality from the short memory trip. Minhyuk wasn’t close enough with the other people in this room to let tears fall that easily and make a scene, but his resolve was shattered a long time ago. It felt good to let the hot tears blur his vision and wet his cold cheeks. 

By succumbing to the restraints Minhyuk freed himself from them.

He told Changkyun everything that happened last night as if he was just telling a sad story. “Yesterday night, I woke up finding Jooheon on the floor. He was going to the toilet but got hit when he saw someone walk past the door. I shouldn’t have slept after I saw him go back to sleep. I should’ve known something was wrong and stayed up to look after him.”

Changkyun shook his head and wiped Minhyuk’s tears away with the napkin he always keep in his pocket. He hadn’t changed it since the day he arrived the building, but he rinsed it last night so it should be clean enough. Changkyun hugged Minhyuk and stayed in the position until he stopped crying.

“By the way, I heard beeping in the box. Like there was a device in there.” Minhyuk said quietly, sniffing and blinking hard with his swollen red eyes.

Deep in thought, Changkyun frowned and looked around the ceilings and walls of the room. Somehow everything clicked into place magically and the answer found its way to his head. It wasn’t a significant answer, but it was something. He felt good to get at least one problem solved. “Smiley’s listening to our conversation. We know that he has a camera in every room, or else he wouldn’t be ‘supervising’ us while playing the games. Having another device to record what we say isn’t surprising.” 

Minhyuk nodded. “So, what are you implying?” 

“He was watching us for fun. When all of us stop showing new reactions, Smiley will continue.” Changkyun explained, turning around to look at the other three contestants, two of which have already sat down and gave up. The last one standing had his arms crossed and was staring into space, silent and thinking quietly. 

“They were just listening to us talk.” Minhyuk added, understanding. “Well, I think you told me everything you have to tell me.”

Changkyun shrugged, but his shoulders were so sagged it barely moved. “Yea. I wanted you to help me break the truth to the others afterwards, but I realized Smiley was going to tell them anyways.” 

During the conversation, Minhyuk was standing right next to the box, which was next to the door they came in from. They wanted a little privacy, but surely didn’t expect what happened next. 

This was the exact reason why he almost got hit in the back by the door when it got slammed open, startling everyone in the room.

Kihyun and Hyungwon scrambled up to their feet and could only stare in horror and bewilderment when Changkyun and Minhyuk – who were standing closest to the entrance – got dragged forcefully to the chairs in the middle of the room.

Five people dressed in black wearing masks (yes, the yellow ones with a smiley face on it) walked in the room purposefully and aimed for a contestant that wasn’t already taken by another worker.

They grab Kihyun’s shoulders and Hyungwon’s hands, barely using any effort to pull their light bodies and force them onto the white chairs. Shownu was the hardest to deal with. He struggled and pushed away a few workers, most successful in fighting back so far.

A sixth worker appeared out of nowhere and hand cuffed everyone that was previously held in place on the chairs by the other workers. Minhyuk noticed that the box was opened. The handcuffs must’ve been stored there. But that didn’t matter anymore. When everyone was locked in place, the iron grips on their shoulders were released. The sixth worker, the only female with the long hair, picked up the chair that was previously used to break in the doors and returned it to its rightful place. Just in time for Shownu to be placed down like the others.

Any remaining hope in their hearts had completely faltered away. If anyone had chances of escaping, it would be Shownu. But now that he was here, restrained like the others were, they knew they weren’t going back any time soon.

Too stunned to fully comprehend the situation, they looked at each other with shaking eyes and twitching lips. The shock and fear were too overwhelming for the body to react, yet they were given almost no time to contemplate about feelings when despair and sorrow quickly flooded in, adding to the storm of emotions eroding the inner walls of their heart.

Looking deeply into each other’s darkened eyes, everyone saw the same amount of anguish that reflected and matched their own. The game had taken an ugly turn. 

The five workers, excluding the female one, stood behind the chairs, one in between every two contestants. For what, they couldn’t be certain. They weren’t even sure whether they wanted to know. The metal biting into their skin were enough to be a constraint, but maybe they were guarding in case someone managed to break out. 

They sure hoped someone could actually do that. 

Moments passed and the fear had become a bit more bearable. Shownu was just about to protest when a deep rumble accompanied with ground shaking filled them with a whole new layer of apprehension.

The walls, along with the screens and the doors and the couch, retreated backwards and disappeared into the underground when four flaps opened beneath them. In a matter of seconds, the chair they were sitting on and the carpet beneath it were the only things left that were white in the new room.

Now, everything was grey. The room was bigger than any of the contestant’s houses, so big and empty that even the smallest sound created an echo so big it resounded in your brain for a good 30 seconds. There were no machines in view, but from the rumbling and whirring of engines, things had to look a lot more complicated under the ground than what was on the surface. The noise was not pleasant to listen to, but when it finally quietens down, the five contestants would rather face the alternative.

The screams and shouts were back.

Clearly, whatever they heard back in the makeshift room were only parts of the truth hidden behind the sound proof walls. 

Minhyuk felt a hand sliding in to grab onto his own. He turned around and saw Changkyun’s stiffened body, unaware of his own taut muscles bulging with fear. The screams indicated that both Wonho and Jooheon were still alive and relatively well, but despite the logic behind it, it did nothing to tamper the terror already etched deep into all of them.

Shownu struggled to break free again. Kihyun frowned at him and tried to stop him with a worrying look. But when Shownu didn’t stop, the two men standing beside him and held him down with so much force he groaned. No words, just actions. But that was no doubt an unspoken warning for everyone else sitting. Kihyun gave them a deadly glare but said nothing else.

They waited, not knowing what to say, not wanting to say anything.

When the speakers finally turned on, their faces said of those who had lost every single last drop of hope in humanity that had ever existed. Despite that, their slumped bodies straightened up when the first word was delivered through the speakers. Anger flashed through their wary eyes, even for just an instant.

Everything happened too quickly. The change was too abrupt for them to accept it as their fate just yet. They demanded for answers, an explanation.

They have never wanted to win a game so badly before.

For a good five minutes Smiley taunted the five contestants and had fun provoking them by keeping the rules of the game a secret. No one knew where Jooheon and Wonho were, despite hearing the occasional shouts of shock and sometimes even whimpers of fear. There were no rooms or visible doors from where they are sitting, and the screens that showed a live recording of their rooms were no where to be seen as well. 

Hyungwon had to wonder whether everything was fake, whether everything they had seen was what the people behind this wanted to see. And by the angry and frustrated looks on everyone’s faces, they probably thought the same. Truthfully, Jooheon and Wonho could be in even more danger if what they witnessed before was all fake, but they chose to cling on the small possibility of Smiley being a bastard and hiding the two contestants just to scare the others. 

“Where are they?” Finally Minhyuk couldn’t take it anymore and interrupted Smiley, hissing to one of the workers as if he was the actual person. He could be, as with the four other workers, but the masks made it impossible to tell.

Smiley sighed, disappointed at the interruption. But he clicked a button nevertheless and the flaps reopened, bringing everything back. Minhyuk and everyone else flinched at the increased volume of Jooheon and Wonho’s cries. “They are so fucking loud. Jesus.” Smiley said, clicking another button and actually making the noise disappear. 

Breaths were hitched, minds racing and imagining the horrible ways one can do to shut people up. To their greatest relief Smiley’s complaint about the stupid mistake of installing an audio receiver along with the camera ensured them that no one was hurt. At least not physically hurt. 

Smiley must’ve gotten impatient waiting as well, because he finally started explaining the whole objective of the game. 

At this point they couldn’t say it was a game anymore.

Changkyun didn’t know how to feel when he learnt that all of his speculations earlier were true. Even though Smiley told them Jooheon and Wonho haven’t passed out yet from the shock and weren’t likely to, it disgusted him how cruel a person can be.

Following disgust was fear. Not knowing what Smiley planned to do to the rest of the contestants had him shuddering uncontrollably. Because of the chains attached to the handcuffs, he could move his hands around, but the area of activity was limited only around his chair. He let his arms fall from the armrest and dug his nails into his thighs. It was his way of stopping the shuddering whenever he was nervous, and it had worked perfectly before. He could only hope it did as well now. 

“For the very first contestants that joined this adventure, you would know that this is just a simple game like the first one.” Shownu and Hyungwon shared gazes and gulped, knowing very well that the game that determined their fate was nowhere near simple. “You want to help your friends escape, but I want to keep them in their rooms. It’s as simple as that. Normally I don’t like sharing, but since there are two of them, we can make a deal.” 

The implications behind those words sent shivers down everyone’s spine. Lips were bit and abused while they try to swallow any words of protest, not wanting to risk provoking Smiley and suffering from the consequences afterwards.

“Take out your phones.” The way Smiley said it sounded like he was going to elaborate. But when he repeated the sentence with a shout, no one said a word and fumbled in their pockets for their phones. It wasn’t an easy task when your hands have limited movement, and once again they found themselves swallowing anger and frustration when Smiley teased at them for being slow.

“Open the Smiley app and you will see a new screen with two big buttons on it.” There were mutters of curse words when they saw _Wonho_ on one button and _Jooheon_ on the other.

“Just like the very first game, all you have to do is make a choice. You get to have one back, and I get to keep one. Sounds fair to me.”

How Smiley objectified two wonderful people right in front of Minhyuk set off an explosion in his chest. The flame was always there from the very beginning, and the fuse was shrinking in size with every passing moment. Now that it exploded, there was no holding back. 

He reached out to press the button that would save Jooheon. 

Changkyun caught him at the last moment and warned sternly. “Minhyuk, no.” Minhyuk groaned and tried to twist his hand away from Changkyun’s grip. He never knew his friend could be this strong.

“Let go of me!” Minhyuk shouted, making the chains rattle angrily. Shownu, Kihyun, and Hyungwon were looking at them nervously. Smiley was probably enjoying every moment of this.

“You haven’t listen to all of the rules yet.” Changkyun explained, his voice surprising calm despite the iron grip and white knuckles that showed otherwise. Minhyuk’s continued struggle showed that he didn’t care. Changkyun placed down his phone and used his other hand to reinforce the grip. 

He warned again, more loudly, “It can’t be as easy as what you think it is! After all of this, do you still think Smiley would make things easy?” Minhyuk seemed to be swayed as his hand relaxed a bit under Changkyun’s grip. Changkyun released one of his hands and continued.

“Besides, you can’t just choose the person you want to save. If what Smiley said is true, we can only save one. Just wait, ok? We’re supposed to be a team.” Changkyun stared at Minhyuk, reading his expression. When he was sure Minhyuk was completely resigned, he let go of his friend’s hand and picked up his phone.

“Well said, Changkyun.” Smiley said. Changkyun looked straight ahead, trying to look indifferent. He understood giving no reaction was the best way to speed up the process. Though he wasn’t sure if he wanted the process to be sped up anymore.

“He was right, you are a team. And teams work together to achieve the same goal.” As if following Changkyun’s warning, everyone listened intently for the rest of the instructions. Their hands grasped onto their phones tightly.

“Which is why all five of you have to select the same button. You should feel lucky Changkyun stopped Minhyuk just in time.” Minhyuk clenched his jaw, irritated. He couldn’t read any of the expressions that were directed to him. He wasn’t sure if it was of contempt or relief, or a mixture of both. All he knew was that he was made a potential danger for the rest of the team. 

“You have all the time you want to make your choice, but you have only one chance. Once you press a button, there’s no going back.” Smiley continued.

As much as Kihyun wanted to just get this over with and save the victims already, he needed to know something. Not that he was likely to find the answer pleasing. “What happens if we select different people?”

“Then that shows me you’re not a team, and not worthy of taking one of your teammates back.” 

Kihyun clenched his teeth at the answer, even though the bubbling anxiety was evidence that he should’ve expected nothing better. 

“Okay, now that we got the instructions out of the way, I’m going to tell you what exactly is going on in Jooheon and Wonho’s room. I’m sure this will help you make your decision.”

It was going to be horrible listening to Smiley’s version of whatever was happening to their friends, but it was undeniable that they needed to know what Jooheon was facing. And even though they saw what happened to Wonho through the screen previously, there was no saying it was the truth. 

“The games you played previously were boring, I know. But the point was to get you to talk so I get to know more about you. I really have to thank Hyungwon and Changkyun for telling me Wonho was afraid of heights. So of course, Wonho thinks he is now standing on a tower so tall he can’t see the ground anymore. It’s funny how someone so strong is actually scared of heights. He was the person the broke my mask too, which was impressive.” 

Hyungwon and Changkyun either dug their nails into any exposed skin or bit the insides of their mouth. They did anything to keep the burning tears – surfacing because of guilt and sorrow – at bay behind their eyes, even though it was stinging and felt like it was on fire.

“Anyways, as for Jooheon, it took me a while to make that choice. But eventually I realized he looks so uncertain and troubled whenever the lights are turned off. And after some research, I figured he was scared of bugs too. So now he thinks he is suck in a dark room full of bugs. Whenever I press a button to blow some wind across his skin, he thinks it’s a bug.”

As ironic as it sounded, Minhyuk was thankful he was tied to a chair. He wouldn’t know what he would do if he were free to do whatever he wanted. And he knew he would’ve regretted it afterwards. It was better having no choices sometimes. At least he wouldn’t make the wrong one. 

“As a side note, both of them managed to stay conscious. It’s been almost an hour since I placed them there. But I’m not sure if they can deal with it any longer. Wonho is shivering more vigorously, but Jooheon is screaming and whimpering more. It’s your choice who you think needs more help.” That was all they got before the “game” began. Smiley kept everything too vague for anyone’s liking. But even if he wrote a whole essay about it, they doubt it would help with their decision-making. 

“Oh, and one more thing. Since this is the last game, the tip I gave you last time is the most important here. Let me remind you. You get what you want from playing this game, but it’s ultimately your decisions that create your fate.”

No one else seemed to notice because of the upcoming decision they had to make, but Changkyun found Smiley’s advice really suspicious. It was out of place. He couldn’t understand why an advice was so generously given when Smiley was clearly doing something way crazier than that. In a time like this, in a situation like this, he wasn’t going to risk the consequences that neglecting something even only the slightest suspicious would bring.

The observation disturbed him in many ways, but his brain told him an answer wasn’t available any time soon. But he needed to know. And he was going to find out.


	19. Game: Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The handcuffs were digging into his skin, but that wasn’t important. One chance was all he got.

Choice.

Life is full of decisions. Most often than not those decisions are hard to make. Not because we are afraid of missing out on the other offers, but because most of the time, none of those decisions are favourable.

Choices. Decisions. You choose the one that you like the most. Sounds easy enough.

But what if you want something that isn’t one of the choices? You can’t have all, but if you don’t choose one of the offers, you miss out on everything.

And that’s when you realize; you have no choice but to make a choice.

That was also what Changkyun figured out. 

Changkyun looked up to one of the yellow masks, trying to ignore the tension forcing onto him from all directions. “Where exactly are they?” He hoped the words sounded calm and composed, thinking that listening to himself sounding calm would actually make him calm. 

The drawn on black eyes stared straight forward unmoved when he answered, “Underground.” Simple answer. No more than necessary. Changkyun frowned at that, asking another useless question just to stall time. He didn’t want to face the decision yet. He wanted more time, though he didn’t know what time would do now, other than increasing the chances of putting his friends into even more danger. 

Changkyun knew the answer, and hearing it again would make it more realistic, more striking, more depressing. But he asked anyways. “Can we go see them?” 

“No” was the answer, given quickly by one of the other workers. The answer was devoid of emotions, but it was clear that they were trying to push away any chances of conversation. It was no doubt so the game could start as soon as possible. There was no escape.

“Should we just choose one?” Hyungwon asked, turning all eyes on him. His voice was quiet, timid, as if talking too loud will reveal emotions that should be kept hidden.

No one answered his question, throat clogged with the same dread that everyone else was feeling when they understood the true meaning of that question. The decision, the action, to make the choice, meant that they had given up on fighting. That they had accepted, with silence, saving only one and leaving the other in danger was fair. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t just. It wasn’t okay. It would never be. 

No one had better ideas, so silence was the best answer. Silence meant no objections. No objections meant agreement. But Changkyun wasn’t going to agree yet. At least not fully. He had to change this somehow, even though the chance that anything would happen was slim. 

“I say we should.” Now all attention was on him, clearly not expecting anyone to actually answer verbally. Changkyun tried to keep eye contact with the black orbs filled with fear and dismay. They were scared, scared that the time to make the decision had come. Changkyun was scared too, but he couldn’t let it show. He had to make the change, or at least make them believe a change was possible while he thinks of a way to make this work. 

“We will think of a way to save the other afterwards. One at a time is the best way to do it.” Changkyun explained, not caring if the five workers standing less than a few feet away, or Smiley who had audio receivers installed in every corner of the room, could hear his plan loud and clear. He wanted to sound like he was taking part in a normal discussion, just like everyone else was. He wanted to make everyone else, including him, feel like the chains on their hands, the strangers guarding them, the grey room they were in, were all inexistent. None of those were true, but deluding themselves was the only way to make this work, before everything broke out into chaos.

And Changkyun was afraid he was already too late. 

There was something weird and out of place that told him there was a chance to actually win this game. There was a code to crack, a problem to solve, an answer to find. An answer that would tell him how to make the decision. He had to find the answer before the decision was made, but the discussion has started and he was still stuck with half the equation. 

He could only hope the answer would come out during the decision making process. Half of the equation was all he could cling onto and rely on, and until he found a way to solve it he could only wish for the best.

Kihyun nodded with his heavy head, the first one to agree. He wasn’t ready to suggest what choice to make, but at least he was prepared for others to make the choice for him.

Just like everyone else was.

Once someone started, others followed. Shownu responded, taking the lead as always. “I know someone has to make the first suggestion. So I say we choose Jooheon. To justify, he’s younger. Not by a lot, but still younger.” He pointed to his phone screen, making his chain rattle. A few people flinched at the sound.

Most of the contestants showed no response, but a small smile appeared on Minhyuk’s lips. “I agree.” Changkyun remembered his friend’s fingers reaching for the blue button before the game started, and recognized the relief beneath those words.

Changkyun waited for someone to disagree. It was inevitable, and everyone who glanced around nervously seemed to think the same.

“I want to choose Wonho.” Hyungwon said, no anger or annoyance in his voice. The monotone suggests a simple stating of fact, just another choice that could be taken into consideration. He knew there were other people that hadn’t made their choices, but he was trying hard to keep it neutral to prevent any misunderstanding. Everyone looked relaxed about Hyungwon’s controlled argument; relieved to know this could be discussed calmly. But Changkyun knew it wasn’t true. As soon as everyone made their decisions, the mood would take a 180 degree turn. He could imagine it already.

“Can you explain why?” Minhyuk asked.

Hyungwon was silent for a moment, but if he didn’t have a reasonable answer for the question, he didn’t show it. “I’m just closer to him. Plus, I think acrophobia should be something that should be taken more seriously.”

Changkyun nodded instinctively but didn’t say anything, still too occupied with the possibilities and methods constantly being denied and crossed out in his mind. He almost forgot to blink, staring holes into the blue and red buttons, thinking of a way to press both of the same time without backfiring everything. 

“What about you? You didn’t explain your choice just now.” Hyungwon asked, more confident than before. He sat up straighter, rattling the chains once again. This time no one flinched or showed discomfort. They looked like they were slowly easing into the conversation. Like they were fine. But of course they weren’t 

They were just paralyzed by pretty much everything.

A short silence indicated Minhyuk’s reluctance to answer. However he seemed prepared, and his lips curled up into something in between a smile and a smirk. He was prepared for the question all along.

“I have the same reasons as Shownu does, and I’m also closer with him than with Wonho. I don’t deny what you said about acrophobia, but if someone in their twenties are still afraid of the dark, that person must be traumatized in some way. It’s equally serious.” 

Hyungwon seemed slightly taken aback by the well-polished answer, but as a lawyer who had met stronger opponents, he showed nothing but a nod of respect, showing he understood the reasoning behind Minhyuk’s justification. More importantly, it was a sign that he didn’t want any fights. 

Shownu nodded and, seeing Changkyun staring at his phone, deep in thought, he decided to ask Kihyun first. “Kihyun, what do you think? We should make a decision as soon as possible.”

Kihyun looked surprised to be chosen, glancing around a bit frantically before weighing the choices out. He realized he should be relieved he wasn’t the tiebreaker, and decided it was best and easiest to balance everything. 

“I choose Wonho too.” Kihyun replied, reading expressions carefully, afraid he already said the wrong word. When no one reacted, he felt safe enough to continue. But not safe enough to say the truth. “Because I also think acrophobia is scarier, and is the more significant of the two. Since we’re going to try and safe both of them, saving the one that I think is in more danger would be sensible.” 

No one had any feedback or comments on Kihyun’s explanation. It was reasonable, and he made a tie, so there was nothing to complain about. Yet. 

Repeating Smiley’s word of advice over and over again, dread filled Changkyun when he realized he was still struggling to understand the true objective and meaning behind it. He snapped back to the current situation when Minhyuk snatched his phone away harshly and rushed him to give his opinion.

Changkyun resisted the urge to curse when he realized two things. One, he was the last one to make a choice, which meant the discussing was about to end and the time to find the answer was running out. Two, he was the tiebreaker, which meant he had to be very careful while answering. Even though he knew different opinions would lead to quarrel one way or the other.

He thought again about the descriptions Smiley gave them, trying to form images in his head, despite the strong desire to think of something else. Once he imagined Wonho standing on a tall tower, crying and shivering from fear, he made his decision. 

Before saying anything, he placed his hand on Minhyuk’s and patted lightly as an unspoken apology. He hoped Minhyuk accepted it.

“After thinking through it, I have to choose Wonho.” He felt Minhyuk’s hand tense underneath his warm touch, and felt guilty for not being able to apologize properly. “I imagined him standing on a tower, and even though it isn’t true, he thinks it is true. That’s what matters most. Once I have that image in my head, I think of my other friend, a friend that also had acrophobia. He was a more serious case than Wonho, but I recognize the same fear and anxiety in Wonho. I understand how severe acrophobia is. I saw it happen to my friend. I don’t want to see it again.” 

Under the dim lights, Hyungwon’s eyes sparkled and glistened. He looked like he was about to cry, maybe slightly intimidated by Changkyun’s words. He didn’t know what happened to Changkyun’s friend, but he didn’t want to know. All he knew was that he didn’t want it to happen to Wonho. It was tears of gratitude. 

Changkyun was afraid to look at Minhyuk, but it didn’t matter since he felt the suspicious gaze coming from his side anyways. He begged silently for his friend to stay quiet, because he wasn’t prepared to answer any questions that Minhyuk might have. He heaved a sigh of relief when Minhyuk said nothing, removing his hand from Minhyuk’s and pretending to stretch to show that his sigh was merely from the tension. It was amazing how he could still think properly with so much things happening in his head. 

“If we follow the rules of a fair vote, we should all press Wonho’s button right now.” Shownu said, thinking through everything rationally rather than emotionally. It was a smart move that not everyone could pull off. 

It was also a smart move that would be useless if not everyone made that move. 

“Yes, but who said this was a voting event?” Everyone turned to look at Minhyuk, except for Changkyun, who glanced at Shownu nervously and hoped he wasn’t provoked, so that everyone could stay calm long enough for Changkyun to figure out the answer before someone got ahead of themselves and press a button. 

“We’ll save Jooheon later.” Shownu replied simply. It sounded soothing on the surface, but because of the assertive tone behind the words, it sounded more commanding than comforting.

Minhyuk narrowed his eyes, which was an action that must’ve scared some of the contestants because someone jerked slightly and made the chains go crazy with the chair handle. Changkyun sensed the danger of the upcoming conversation, but he couldn’t stop it if he wanted to. Stopping a conversation midway meant avoiding the topic for Minhyuk, which would no doubt annoy him further. 

“We can also save Jooheon first and save Wonho later.” Minhyuk said. It was clear that he didn’t trust the slim chance of saving both, and would prefer saving Jooheon. 

“Three people wanted voted for Wonho. It’s only fair, Minhyuk.” Shownu replied, the conversation going faster and more straightforward. There were no more beating around the bush. 

Minhyuk huffed and leaned hard onto the back of his chair. Everyone else tensed up at Minhyuk’s unpredictable behaviour, but Shownu seemed unfazed, ready for Minhyuk to protest and argue further.

“Which side are you on? You chose Jooheon too.” Minhyuk paused, and Shownu waited, expecting something more. “Why did you choose him if you don’t care who we decide to choose at the end?”

Changkyun looked at his friend nervously, then at Shownu, trying to warn him only to find out Shownu was even more composed than he was. He looked confident about what to do. Changkyun only hoped Shownu felt the same as how he looked. 

“It’s not that I don’t care who is chosen at the end, it’s that I care about saving both of them no matter the order. I know you’re saying this because you’re scared. You don’t have to worry. We will save them both.” Kihyun smiled next to him, recognizing the tone in Shownu’s voice as the same kind of manner he used when trying to calm a criminal during an interrogation, or to a traumatized victim in the crime scene. His profession was a big help, but still, it isn’t guaranteed to work.

“If you’re so sure we’ll save them both,” Changkyun could sense a _“which we don’t”_ following that, but Minhyuk chose not to say anything that would terrify him even further than he was now. “Then it’s fine to save Jooheon first.” 

Shownu was starting to get frustrated, running out of ideas to make Minhyuk understand. Hyungwon understood the same argument couldn’t be used twice and added in his own point.

Trying to make it sound like he cared about Minhyuk’s feelings too, Hyungwon said, “Jooheon is a nice person. I’m sure everyone who talked to him would understand what I mean, and you should know that best. He is also mentally strong, and I’ve seen enough people in my life to know that I’m right. He’s smart enough to figure out things aren’t that easy. He’ll understand why we didn’t choose him first when we get to him later. He’ll get through this fine.” Using his occupation as a lawyer to his advantage, Hyungwon really hoped Minhyuk would understand he was just trying to comfort the other and not fighting for his desired outcome. 

For a moment Minhyuk went silent, appearing to be slightly swayed by Hyungwon’s speech.

Time stopped and Changkyun was lost in his own world. After listening to Hyungwon, something clicked in Changkyun’s mind. It reminded him about the Jooheon who blamed no one but himself for getting into this mess at the first place. It finally occurred to Changkyun that Jooheon was referring exactly to Smiley’s advice. Jooheon understood that his choices were the most important things that led to where he was now. Could that be what it is? Could it be that choosing one of the buttons would lead to a different outcome, a better outcome? He felt his heart getting lighter just at the slight progress, but he still had no idea which button was the correct one. It couldn’t just be a game of chance.

Minhyuk wasn’t swayed. In Shownu’s perspective, Minhyuk must’ve remembered something. A new layer of guilt and regret washed over Minhyuk’s disheartened face and he stood up, hands at his sides, still attached to the chair.

“No, you don’t understand. He _won’t_ get through this fine.” He said this to Shownu, but turned around to address Hyungwon next. “I don’t care how much people you’ve met, you don’t’ know anything about Jooheon. I saw first-hand how scared he was. You don’t understand.”

Thinking process being interrupted, Changkyun looked up and immediately felt anxious when he saw Minhyuk standing up, breathing irregularly. But somehow he caught what his friend said and realized he must be referring to the accident last night, when Jooheon was found laying on the floor.

Quietly but with a firm voice, he told Minhyuk to sit down. Of course, Minhyuk didn’t comply.

Minhyuk’s head snapped towards Changkyun, the dark eyes making Changkyun feel small, but not intimidated. “And I haven’t even started with you yet. You’re my _friend._ Do you know how sad I was when you didn’t side with me? You had the choice, but you didn’t help me.” The last words turned quiet, replacing angry with disappointed and bitterness.

Changkyun didn’t know how to answer that without hurting any more feelings. He raised his hand and tugged at Minhyuk’s shirt, telling him to sit down. Surprisingly, Minhyuk did what he was told without further outbursts, as if one was all he could manage.

No one was confident enough to confront Minhyuk anymore. “Looks like I’m truly on my own then.” Minhyuk said quietly, looking down as if reflecting on his true status in this situation. No one heard it, not even Changkyun who was sitting next to him, deep in thought.

Replaying the whole conversation in his head, Changkyun tried to find anything, no matter a word or phrase, that was could be resolved to fix the problem. It was what he always did when he didn’t know what to say. He wanted to think it was a reliable way to fix things, even though it only really worked when he was young and nothing was really serious.

“Fine, whatever.” Minhyuk muttered. Changkyun heard the mumbles, but it was blurred unclear by his buzzing head. “No one’s going to help me anyways. You just think I’m wasting time, don’t you.” A bitter chuckle sounded the room. The sound bounced off the grey concrete walls but quickly disappeared as if it was got lost in the long hallways ahead that led to nothing but darkness. 

The despair in his voice made Changkyun turn to him. He recognized the tone. He had only heard it one time in his life, and that was when Minhyuk’s grandmother passed away. He stayed at home crying instead of going to school, explaining that to Changkyun with two streaks of tears across his cheeks. 

“Minhyuk?” Changkyun said carefully, wanting to touch his shoulder but thinking twice and stopping, his hand still mid-air. 

Ignoring Changkyun, Minhyuk said, louder this time, “I don’t care, just choose whatever you like. Here, take my phone too. You can help me choose.” His hand clutched his phone tightly and held it out to Changkyun’s hand, which was still levitating in the air.

Changkyun took the phone and saw the uncertain glances from the other three contestants through his peripheral vision. He couldn’t hear anything, but he knew they were discussing whether to press Wonho or not. He just knew it. Which meant he had to act. Fast.

He wasn’t sure, but his throbbing head from the intense thinking process did enough a job to make an educated guess. He knew he couldn’t get it right the first time anyways, just like when he did self designed experiments at school. Back then it caused mini-explosions, but he always learnt his lesson and he would succeed after the first try. 

This was also an experiment. Experimenting which button to press. Only, the consequences definitely wouldn’t be harmless mini explosions. Only, he got only one chance to get this right. His hypothesis had to be correct. 

Turning his attention away from Minhyuk’s phone, he widened his eyes when he saw Shownu’s finger hovering over the screen. Almost dropping the phone, he stood up and pounced towards Shownu. 

Opening his mouth and reaching for Shownu’s phone, Changkyun shouted. 

“Don’t press Wonho!”

The handcuffs were digging into his skin, but that wasn’t important. One chance was all he got.


	20. A Correct Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never mind the flower. It got cut off at the stem. A sudden, brutal cut at the stem.

Changkyun toppled backwards, dragged down by the weight of the chair. He grunted when he felt a sharp pain on his tailbone. Getting hit there was not fun at all, but it was all worth it when he saw Shownu’s hand retract in shock, now safely away from the phone screen.

A sigh of relief and the adrenaline was gone. There was no energy or reason to fight back when he was being carried back to his designated place, in between Minhyuk and Kihyun. He did what he needed to do. Now he just had to finish what he started. 

Changkyun got a verbal warning for being “overly aggressive and unpredictable”, of which he ignored completely, turning his full attention to the red lines on his wrists instead. Pushing the metal rings down a bit, he examined the scratches and blamed the injuries on his dry skin, thanking Kihyun for a piece of tissue he had kindly offered, for the deeper wounds that had started bleeding. 

Minhyuk was switching gazes between Shownu and Changkyun, still trying to understand what had just happened. The shape of his eyes turned softer and the color one shade lighter. No matter what, he was still thankful for Changkyun’s sudden change of stance, a significant sign that hinted the increased possibility of saving Jooheon.

Changkyun was dabbing lightly on his wounds, still wincing slightly when he pressed too hard, or simply when he thought of the chance of infection being unable to clean his injuries properly. He didn’t need to find something to do to keep himself busy, but his preoccupied with another task didn’t mean the other task wasn’t there anymore.

Shownu cleared his throat. “Care to explain?” Changkyun looked up and saw Shownu pointing at his phone, face expectant and questioning.

Great question. The perfect question to ask at this perfect moment. Shownu had all the right to know, as with everyone else sitting, and Changkyun had all the responsibility to answer. Yet it was the one question that Changkyun had no definite answer to.

Still, there was no choice but to answer. It was just like being called in class to answer a question you are not sure the answer of. You couldn’t just say, “I don’t know” because the teacher expected you to know before calling on you.

Crumpling the tissue in his hands, he said whatever came into mind, listing all the conclusions he had made hastily, trying to hide the fact that they were just speculations and theories with no absolute proof.

“To be honest, I’m not so sure myself, I just had to stop you before we lose our only chance.”

Shownu raised his eyebrows, doubt washing over his face and spreading to everyone else like a chain reaction. Changkyun felt his confidence wear away just a bit, but he couldn’t let the same doubt show on his face if he wanted this to work. It was time to dismiss the fact that he was youngest here and believe that the youngest could be right too. 

“Do you all remember the advice Smiley gave us at the beginning of this game?” Changkyun started, already feeling more certain of himself when he saw people nodding. “All of us were really confused about it, but Jooheon was the only person that understood the meaning behind it.”

“Do you mean how he hated no one but himself for choosing to join the game?”

Changkyun gave his friend a curt nod and retold the story.

“He blamed himself. He was the only person to do that. And I’m sure we all do when we realize he is right. That’s what Smiley meant when he said our choices decide our fate.” Saying those words aloud made it seem more true to Changkyun, making him believe his speculations were indeed true, that his hypothesis was justified and correct. He got excited simply by imagining everyone agreeing and even more so when he predicted his plan working out perfectly just like he wanted it to be. 

Filled with renewed determination, Changkyun continued explaining before anyone asked questions that he knew would be answered after his short speech. “So the point is, there has to be a reason why Smiley chose Jooheon for this game. He told us it was because Jooheon was scared of the dark, so he could use this weakness as an advantage.” The longer he went on, more ideas and explanations popped into Changkyun’s head, making him smile at his fast-turning brain and its ability to think of arguments spontaneously.

“But since Smiley repeated his advice only before this game and not the others, there has to be a special reason. It’s a hint to the winning strategy for this game. And I think he wants us to follow in Jooheon’s footsteps by reminding us of something that separates him from Wonho. So we have to choose Jooheon. I don’t know for sure what will happen afterwards, but I dare say choosing him will lead to a better fate than choosing Wonho right now.” 

Finally the last word was spoken, and there was only one last step to carry out. Wait. Looking around the circle anxiously, he hoped to see realization and acknowledgement replace the confused and suspecting ones. Instead their thoughtful looks gave nothing away, expressions unreadable to Changkyun.

Everyone except for Changkyun was sharing glances as if having a conversation that Changkyun wasn’t included in. After a few seconds that seemed more like the longest 5 minutes of his life, Changkyun felt alert again after someone started speaking. 

He didn’t expect Hyungwon to be the person talking. “Judging by their faces, I don’t think they’re fully convinced, and I’m not either. It’s hard to guess what others are thinking after all, and you can’t really prove what you said about Smiley is correct. Of course, we can’t do that either. No one knows what’s going on in Smiley’s head.” Changkyun nodded slowly, unsure of where this was going. Though Hyungwon hasn’t exactly said he believed him yet, Hyungwon didn’t sound like he was going to disagree either, which Changkyun took as a good omen.

Hyungwon looked serious, making Changkyun do the same himself. “Just one more thing, Changkyun.” The straight face Changkyun was trying to keep didn’t last long when Hyungwon asked his question. “What’s your university major?” The question was so off-topic it sounded slightly funny to Changkyun.

Despite having no idea why the question was asked, Changkyun answered anyways, not seeing any reason not to. “Computer Science and Psychology.” Saying that out loud reminded him of things he didn’t want to remember right now. It was hard enough to take two majors at the same time, now that he missed a few days of school it was going to be hell when he got back.

Changkyun swallowed the exasperated sigh tickling his throat, trying to pay full attention to Hyungwon, who looked satisfied and fully convinced. “Great, let’s press Jooheon’s button then.” He looked at the others as if asking “any objections?”.

The confidence Hyungwon showed allowed no room for further questions or suspicions. His eyes had the certainty that determines the final conclusion of the discussion, and he was definitely ready to press the blue button. Before anyone could say anything, Hyungwon’s fingers landed on the screen, as if expecting everyone else to follow.

Changkyun was surprised that they did.

Looking for answers, he turned to Hyungwon. “What does my university majors have to do with anything about this?” In his peripheral vision he saw Minhyuk looking down on his lap, probably wiping away the scalding tears he knew Minhyuk had been keeping for a long time.

Hyungwon smiled and shrugged. “Nothing, I just wanted to know.”

Changkyun tilted his head, but smiled shortly afterwards, finding Hyungwon’s answer amusing. Something in his head told him he understood, but it still felt like trying to get a firm grip on a slippery thread.

Suddenly he felt someone looming behind him, reaching down with gloved hands towards where his wrists were. The action was a bit too invasive for Changkyun’s liking but he quickly realized it was happening to everyone else. The practiced hands clicked open the metal cuffs in one swift movement. The sounds of the locks unclasping had to be the most satisfying and pleasing thing they had heard.

They were free. 

Changkyun barely had time to stand up, see Shownu pulling Kihyun into an embrace and to give appropriate reactions, before Minhyuk attacked him with one of his own. It was more suffocating than affectionate, but Changkyun put away his complaints and received it gratefully nevertheless, using this as a chance to tease his friend for crying. He got a vengeful squeeze on his injured wrists in return, but forgave Minhyuk when he kissed it right afterwards. 

Sweet relief flooded everyone’s senses, temporarily forgetting the fact that nothing was confirmed yet and that there were still a lot of problems to fix. Preoccupied with the genuine smiles on everyone’s faces, they didn’t notice the five workers turning to face the same direction and bowing ninety degrees, nor acknowledge the new guest in the room.

Kihyun stopped talking first, and then when Shownu saw the hardened expression he stopped too, creating a chain reaction that eventually quieted all mutters. In replacement were slow, resounding claps that echoed in the huge gray room just like how it did in everyone’s minds.

After a few more claps Smiley stopped and gestured the workers to leave, carrying the white chairs with them.

Shownu narrowed his eyes at Smiley. “You finally showed yourself?” He wanted to throw a punch at Smiley now that his face was exposed, but decided against it last minute. He would do it after Jooheon and Wonho was back with them.

Unsurprisingly, the question was ignored. “Well done.” 

No one reacted. “Well done” was too vague to mean anything anymore. The amount of different meanings behind those two words was the exact reason why no one could decide what to feel or think. 

Wanting to prove their immense dissatisfaction, everyone kept their mouths shut and refused to talk, despite the raging questions urging furiously at them. If Smiley wanted them to talk, he would have to say something worthy of a response.

“I was expecting the opposite to happen, but it turns out you were smarter than I thought.” Again, no one was interested in what Smiley thinks. Noticing the bored, diverting gazes, Smiley cleared his throat ostentatiously like they would do in comedy shows.

“Fine, I will get straight to the point.” He looked satisfied when most of the attention was back on him. “Seriously, you guys are no fun.” His playful look was immediately wiped away when he saw Shownu’s clenched fists. Looking elsewhere to settle his gaze, he continued. “Anwyays…I’m surprised Changkyun was the one who deduced everything correctly.” 

Finally, something that caught their attention. “I did?” Changkyun asked in surprise. 

Smiley nodded once, looking impressed. “Not exactly, but you got the general idea.” Changkyun sighed, very glad that he did.

The smile on Smiley’s face fueled Shownu’s desire to hit him. Under that smile he saw a mirthless smirk that arose suspicion as to what he did to their two missing friends. The speculations that Shownu came up weren’t exactly pleasant.

“Bring us to Jooheon and release him.” Shownu asserted, making it clear he wasn’t going to play around anymore.

The stone-like fists and his strong demeanor seemed to have an effect on Smiley. Wasn’t surprising considering the latter’s small figure. He was the shortest here. If it wasn’t for the dark thoughts lurking in his mind he would look somewhat cute. “I was going to.” He was definitely uneasy around Shownu, but none of his fear was visible in his authoritative voice. 

Minhyuk was the first to follow Smiley, who started moving unexpectedly, though in a languid pace. Changkyun was going to catch up when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Being relatively short as a boy, he recognized the familiar feeling of someone looming over him. Hyungwon.

“Are you sure choosing Jooheon will lead to a better fate as you said?”

Changkyun could tell Hyungwon was talking about Wonho. The honest answer he had wasn’t reassuring, so out came a lie. “Smiley said well done, and we were released immediately, so don’t worry. Everything seems to be going fine.” He felt bad for lying, and even more so for deceiving himself with those fake words. But at least it did delude him to an extent, which compressed the growing apprehension about what was to come at the end of the corridor.

They descended down a flight of stairs and arrived in an immaculate room. It looked like what would be an observation room to Changkyun. Most of the contestants stood frozen at the threshold, digesting the view in front of them and unsure whether they really wanted to see what they were seeing right now.

Minhyuk remembered being in a room with a similar usage in his university. But what he saw back then was nothing compared to what he saw now. Back then it was either looking at animals’ behavior or things falling in a vacuum. Now it was two people looking like they were going to go crazy from all the shaking and shouting. He couldn’t hear the shouting, but he saw it through the soundproof glass.

He also realized how bad it sounded in his head, but he couldn’t stop his brain from thinking he just entered a mental facility.

Living up to his promise, Smiley pressed some buttons on a control panel in front of the glass, switching off the device on Jooheon’s head. Smiley’s helpers entered the room and removed the device with a special key. So they couldn’t take it off all that time. As he neared Jooheon’s room, Minhyuk wondered how painfully long they must’ve persisted on breaking the lock until they realized it was a futile escapade.

Jooheon left his room and hugged the first person he saw, which was of course Minhyuk. “I’m sorry we took so long.” Minhyuk could barely say those words with the lump in his throat. He didn’t know how much he meant those words until he said it. 

Minhyuk felt Jooheon shake his head against his shoulder. “It’s okay, I don’t blame you. Thanks for coming.” Jooheon pulled away, waving and smiling at the others, still standing at the door, to tell them he was fine. 

Minhyuk had to think twice about asking that question. “Are you… okay?” He asked, finding it slightly weird that Jooheon looked so unexpectedly calm. Happy, even. It was so different from what he saw just a few seconds ago. Did Jooheon somehow figured what was actually happening? Or was he just fast to adjust? Either way, the amount of relief in Minhyuk’s chest was overwhelming. 

“Yea, I’m okay.” Jooheon leaned in suddenly, whispering into Minhyuk’s ear. “I don’t want Smiley to hear this. I was scared out of my shit when it first started. You have no idea what he said to me. It was definitely more than a simple horror story to someone like me. I freaked out quite a bit, and I screamed so much whenever I feel like something is in front of me, my voice went hoarse.” Jooheon’s voice was deeper, Minhyuk spotted, noting how much sexier it sounded like that. 

“But after a while, nothing came. I mean, if the room _was_ full of bugs and insects, it would surely climb on my body already. But nothing happened. I still didn’t know what was going on, but I figured there weren’t much to be afraid of after about 30 minutes. My body was still shaking though, probably because of the conscious reactions. I still get spooked occasionally, but I was definitely better. I don’t know about Wonho though…” 

Jooheon pulled away. Minhyuk almost pouted when he felt the proximity and warmth leaving him. Instead his lips curled up in relief and complimented Jooheon for being brave. He never knew it was his cheesiness that made Jooheon blush. 

“Wait, where do you think you are you going?” Minhyuk turned around to see Kihyun shouting, looking somewhere behind him with warning eyes. 

“Back to where I should be.” Smiley answered, never turning around. He continued walking towards a door, ready to leave the contestants behind. “The game hasn’t ended yet.”

Breaths were hitched as the door closed with a soft click. The growing sense of despair accompanied with the suffocating silence was coming back.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Kihyun asked, annoyed. He looked upset. Minhyuk found him the erratic type.

As if scared of Kihyun’s unpredictability, Hyungwon moved away and moved closer to the glass instead, finally ready to face what was in front of them the whole time.

Shownu muttered an answer to Kihyun and they exchanged opinions on what was going to happen next.

The scalding tears returned so much easier then what Hyungwon expected. His fingers grazed the cold glass as his eyes flickered back and forth between Wonho’s moving body parts, twitching whenever Wonho flinched or stumbled, defending himself from something that was inexistent. If tears could melt glass, Hyungwon would have let himself cried right there. But he knew crying would do nothing to help. In fact, nothing would, until Smiley decided to give further instructions. It was punishing to wait, unable to do anything useful, but it was something he had to do. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll get him out in no time.” Hyungwon felt a hand on his shoulder. He was grateful for the reason to turn away; he couldn’t pull away no matter how hard he tried because he felt guilty for not showing enough care. It was silly to think that, but it was what it was. 

Hyungwon saw Jooheon’s reassuring smile and smiled back, though he had to forcefully push his lips upward to make them move. “You sound so faithful. I wish I can be like you.”

“What’s with everyone saying they want to be like me?” Jooheon said, recalling the conversation with Kihyun the night he was kidnapped again. “You should look at yourselves. What’s wrong with being you? You guys are awesome.”

Hyungwon blinked at the unanticipated answer. Even though he was the older one, he felt like Jooheon knew a lot more that he didn’t know. His lips curled up automatically. “You sure know how to talk, Jooheon.”

Jooheon widened his smile, now accompanied with his signature eye smiles. Hyungwon found them interestingly attractive, maybe because his big eyes couldn’t bring out the same effect. 

Suddenly Minhyuk walked past both of them, gesturing them to follow, a serious and slightly concerned look on his face. Hyungwon turned around, now facing completely away from Wonho, and saw everyone else surrounding something at the back wall. 

Smiley was back on the screen, facing them with his mask yet again. Hyungwon didn’t see the point of the new mask, but he didn’t let such an insignificant thing get on his nerves. Not today. Not at this moment. 

“So this is where he should be?” Kihyun asked, the annoyance still in his voice. He was holding his head again, as if he had a perpetual headache that he was enduring all the time, only letting it show when it got too painful.

“Yea, I guess. Let’s see what he has to say. We can finally finish this all together.” Hyungwon answered in hope that his words lifted some stress off of Kihyun, and also partly because it only felt right to address in some way since he was the instigator of this…unfortunate event. 

“Woah, you’re so close.” Smiley said, a nervous edge in his voice. No one cared to react. “So, since you pressed the correct button, you get to extend the game. Which basically means you get to save the other contestant.” Instantly hope bloomed in the room like a huge flower, pleasing their senses with a tantalizing aroma of triumph and success.

“If you can win the game, of course.” To them who were standing in front of the screen, those words were meaningless noise that could be ignored. Of course they were going to win the game. They were willing to do anything for that one purpose. 

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say it out loud, but I have to because it’s part of the instructions. But actually, I’m sure all of you have observed by now, that Hyungwon and Wonho have a special relationship. A relationship that exceeded friendship, a long time ago.” 

Everyone else stood very still, listening intently. However, Hyungwon’s hands started fidgeting unintentionally. 

He didn’t like where this was going. 

“How about if I let him go, only if someone else kiss…” Smiley blabbered on about the instructions, but everything turned blurry for Hyungwon the moment he started. He couldn’t understand what Smiley was talking about. It didn’t make any sense. It was impossible.

Hyungwon had only one thought. It made him nauseous.

Never mind the flower. It got cut off at the stem. A sudden, brutal cut at the stem.


	21. The Final Shot

Maybe his brain didn’t want to believe what he just heard. That explained why he tricked himself into thinking what he heard didn’t make any sense, so he wouldn’t have to face the ramifications behind it. He saw everyone else listening attentively, and despite the deep creases on their faces, he could tell the gears that were already firing into motion, coming up with a way to win the next challenge.

And Hyungwon was here, physically there but mind drifting away, as if he was part of an island that broke apart and was slowly isolating from the others.

Nevertheless, he could still see, on the other side of the ocean, everything that was happening. He ran over every bit of information in his head again, combing through every single word of instruction, hoping to find some sort of evidence that it was all just a terrible misunderstanding.

Wonho was still in a cage, scared out of his mind. He probably needed immediate help, which no one could give.

They kind of “won” part of the game, so they get to proceed and save Wonho.

But of course Smiley wasn’t going to make this last part easy. Apparently Smiley noticed the ambiguously intimate relationship between Hyungwon and Wonho, which prompted him to include it in this game somehow.

To win the game, Smiley had said, they would have to find someone to kiss Hyungwon.

Yep. Hyungwon wasn’t mistaken. He heard everything correctly, and it was pointless trying to believe otherwise.

He had to kiss another man. Something he had never done before. In fact, he wasn’t even sure if he actually liked men or if it was just temporary infatuation on his part.

The fact that he was reacting so greatly unsettled him more than having to kiss someone else physically. Because right now the only reason he could think of for being so uncomfortable is that he actually had feelings for Wonho, which was why he was so against kissing someone else that wasn’t the said person.

“Hyungwon, we only have one hour. Focus, please.” In an instant his lone island was snapped back and connected to the bigger land. He had to stifle a choke as if he actually collided with something hard and was stuck to it permanently. Depressing as it was, that analogy sounded way too similar to what was actually happening: reality hitting him hard.

“I’m sorry.” That was all Hyungwon could manage. All the while his heart was begging him to hide in a corner and bawl his eyes out discreetly. His brain was definitely against that however, and the brain always wins.

If everyone else was ready to face this challenge, he’d better be playing his part too, especially because he still felt guilty from dragging three people in here with him. And that was discarding the fact that one of the three was still stuck in a room, living the cruelest nightmare of his life.

Since everyone was looking at him expectantly, Hyungwon felt obligated to say something. At least he knew what to say. “You can…you guys can choose who to, you know, do that. I don’t mind. I shouldn’t have a say in this. It was kind of my fault…in some way. Besides, I’m pretty sure Smiley’s objective is to upset Wonho and I, so I don’t have the right to put you in a difficult position.”

Kihyun sniggered. “I don’t think Smiley gets the fact that kissing is someone that involves _two_ people.”

“We should start discussing if we want to make it in time.” Shownu said, exchanging gazes with Hyungwon. Hyungwon took that as a cue to leave, giving them time and space to make yet another impossible decision.

His legs led him to Wonho immediately without hesitation. Only partitioned by the clearest and most spotless glass he had ever came across, Hyungwon could almost feel the warmth emanating from Wonho, who was now standing closer. The once cheerful grin plastered on Wonho’s face was, of course, stolen away from him a long time ago. He was sitting on the floor, back against the wall, head hanging low like a wilted flower. His strong arms flexed as he hugged his knees tightly against his chest; a defensive position.

Touching the cold glass again, Hyungwon longed for the chance to see what Wonho was seeing through the black box strapped on his head, so he could at least empathize with the person he supposedly cared for a lot. It was hard to imagine what the other was seeing or feeling, especially when he was trapped in a world that didn’t exist.

Turning around the check on the others, he allowed his throbbing heart a minute of rest from the unbearable sight behind him.

No one was shouting yet, which was a relieving sight to say the most. He wondered whether getting it over with would be better than wasting time discussing. It was really doubtful that they could come up with a mutual decision without causing even a bit of quarrel. As far as he knew, Hyungwon could probably make a flow chart of the following events.

First, no one would volunteer.

They would try and decide who was the most suitable person to do the job, trying to think logically and rationally.

Someone would realise no one was suitable if the logical path was taken.

That person would volunteer.

Someone else would oppose immediately, protecting the person who volunteered.

Yet another person would tell the protector to back off, saying he had no right to say no if he didn’t stand up and volunteer himself.

This would keep going, probably evolve into a bigger fight if unlucky, and eventually they will run out of time.

Then they would realise the time is up, and therefore push someone out to do it hastily.

That person would be angry or frustrated at least, making everyone uncomfortable and awkward.

If it was going to end up the same either way, why not push someone out now?

Why not _do_ it now?

But at the end of the day, that was all just Hyungwon wishful thinking. He could definitely just go and choose someone and touch his lips with the others’. He could. But he knew he shouldn’t.

Couldn’t and shouldn’t. What a great difference.

-

“I will do it.” Jooheon said, a little bit too confident for everyone’s liking.

They were all thinking the same thing, but Minhyuk retorted first. “Are you kidding? You went through all that, and now you’re telling me you want to kiss a man?” Minhyuk was incredulous; pointing at the empty glass room that Jooheon was previously in. “Are you even sure you like men? And have you even kissed someone before? Because if not then letting you do that would be cruel and unmoral.”

“Minhyuk, calm down.” Changkyun admonished, voice stern, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder blade. Minhyuk shrugged it off mercilessly.

“I know you guys agree with me. We can’t let him do it.” His voice tuned down until it was a mumble, but it was obvious Minhyuk was holding his stance firmly.

“Oh my god, this is giving me a headache.” Kihyun complained, running a hand over his peachy strands. He didn’t acknowledge the concerned gaze from Shownu and proceeded when no one commented further. “But I do agree it’s best Jooheon doesn’t do it. I think you should do it, Minhyuk, since you insist on protecting Jooheon.”

Minhyuk widened his eyes and looked noticeably offended. Before he could throw a nasty response back at Kihyun, Shownu interrupted him.

“Guys, stop bickering like kids. We wasted almost 30 minutes now.” It was unfortunately an understatement. The first 10 minutes were spent in awkward silence that consisted only of a few quiet and feeble feedbacks that hardly helped the situation.

“Ok fine, what do you suggest we do now?” Minhyuk asked, evoking a warning glare from Kihyun for the rude attitude.

“Ask everyone nicely and see who is willing to do it.” Shownu replied, staring straight at Minhyuk to let him know he was serious this time. “I will go last. If no one is willing to do it, I will.”

Kihyun was nodding discreetly next to Shownu when he was explaining the plan, but the small movement halted towards the end. He turned his head so quickly his neck hurt a little. “What? No!”

He was aware how selfish he sounded, but he didn’t bother to care. Knowing for a fact that he was the only person Shownu had ever kissed in his life, he couldn’t bear otherwise. Trying to ignore the impatient gaze and annoyed eye-roll from Minhyuk, Kihyun whispered to Shownu, trying to make him change his mind.

His headache decided to return this exact moment, pain rushing in so fast the force had whiplashed his head. Losing the energy to fight against his softening legs, he let his body go slump and collapsed onto Shownu’s strong and reassuring arms. He didn’t let himself black out completely though. Sleeping through the whole thing and waking up clueless wasn’t exactly appealing to him.

“Oh fuck, Kihyun are you ok?” Shownu said, urgency apparent in his voice while he propped the small figure up effortlessly. Jooheon rushed forward to help.

Changkyun edged closer to Kihyun, worried and getting desperate from waiting for a solution only to be met with obstacles every few minutes.

Minhyuk looked indifferent, but his eyes said otherwise with its soft glimmering under the ceiling lights. What he said before didn’t change the fact that he was still a human being who knows how to sympathize.

Kihyun muttered something along the lines of “yea, just feeling a bit faint” before Shownu carried him to the side wall and let him sit down to rest.

“You rest here until this is over, okay? There’s only 20 minutes left, after that everything will be back to normal.” Shownu said. Or rather, he _hoped._

“Promise me, don’t be the person to do it.” Kihyun clung on Shownu’s shirt, gripping on the fabric as if he was never letting go.

Shownu stared helplessly at Kihyun for a while, but sighed and replied apologetically, “You know that I have to do it if no one does it.”

Something came across Kihyun and it must have shown on his face because Shownu asserted firmly, “I know what you’re thinking and I’m not letting you do it. You have to rest.” Shownu said that but he knew, _they_ knew, that there was another reason why Shownu wouldn’t let Kihyun do it.

Kihyun’s head twitched slightly as he was about to shake his head defiantly, but he gave up on the fight knowing Shownu would never agree. Besides, he could do it without Shownu’s permission. It wasn’t the preferred way, but he had to use it when he had to.

“Ok, I will stay here.” Kihyun smiled softly to make himself more convincing, though it probably did little to actually persuade Shownu he would stay in position as he was told. “Go back now, they probably need you to settle things.”

As expected, Shownu still looked unsure to leave Kihyun alone, not knowing what the other would do when he was away. He left nevertheless, hoping he could bring someone else to do the job before Kihyun volunteered impulsively.

“I assume both of you have no intention of doing it, right?” Shownu talked to Minhyuk and Changkyun explicitly, leaving Jooheon out of the discussion.

Changkyun and Minhyuk exchanged uncertain glances, Minhyuk being the first to shake his head. Jooheon’s widened and alert eyes still bore of the motive to help or contribute to the matter, but he didn’t dare volunteer the second time.

Changkyun kept quiet most of the time, partly because he was the same as Jooheon, a young adult who had no experience in romance beforehand, let alone kissing someone of the same gender when he wasn’t sure of his sexuality himself. The other part was because he wanted to be ready in case someone nominated him to do it. He was contemplating about the answer he would give if he were chosen, which he didn’t. But in case he did, he decided he was going to say yes, just to simplify things. For the greater good, of course. To accept would complicate things for him personally.

Shownu didn’t wait for Changkyun’s respond. “I’m doing it.”

He turned around, taking a quick glimpse at Kihyun before turning completely towards Hyungwon. At first glance Kihyun seemed to be where he should be, and there was nothing to worry about. But they shared glances and that was when Shownu took notice in Kihyun’s change of position.

Instead of sitting crossed leg on the ground like Shownu left him, Kihyun was now kneeling, one knee on the ground and his other feet right next to it. His hands laid flat on the floor, as if ready to give a boost whenever needed.

They shared gazes and stayed like that for a prolonged while, as if entranced in each other’s almost vigilant eyes.

Shownu knew what was happening among them, separated by the distance of a few strides. It was like everything in between was in slow motion, carrying the unspoken messages from their watchful eyes and transporting it to the other ever so slowly.

_Don't. Don’t do it. Don’t you dare._ Shownu’s message. He knew it wouldn’t get sent in time. Or even if it did, it wouldn’t be acknowledged.

Then, at the exact same time, they broke away from the gaze and turned to Hyungwon in perfect unison. The tension from their observant and alert eyes was gone in a flash, only to be replaced with a new kind the moment they decided to set off towards the same target.

The pressuring kind of tension was never a good kind. They sweat despite the short distance, the few easy strides that yield the results of a 400-metre marathon.

Hyungwon was surprisingly oblivious of everything happening behind him. He wasn’t aware of his surroundings right until the moment someone grasped his shoulders with a grip so tight it sent pain signals all over his body, which felt like ants biting on each piece of exposed skin at the same time.

He got turned around roughly and before he knew it a pair of lips landed on his. It landed so roughly Hyungwon couldn’t feel anything other than the slight throbbing on his lips and teeth. As a reflex, Hyungwon eyes widened at the abrupt action and widened even more when he saw who it was.

Kihyun.

Hyungwon felt a light push when Kihyun tore away from him, already rubbing his lips vigorously with the back of his palm. There were a few clicks behind them where Wonho was, but no one seemed to be looking at that.

It was obvious Kihyun turned around just to avoid looking at Shownu. He didn’t care it looked obvious though, the point wasn’t to look discreet. Taking a look at the timer, he realized they were lucky to make it with only around 3 minutes left. He didn’t have the courage to face Shownu yet, because nothing could change the fact that Shownu explicitly asked him not to do what he just did. However, the belief that he did the right thing was enough to diminish the guilt growing inside of him. He did the right thing, and Shownu couldn’t possibly get angry at him for that.

Shownu stood just centimetres away from Hyungwon, literally a second away from “winning” his race with Kihyun. He could only chuckle bitterly in his heart while he tried to understand the thought process that had led to this outcome. It all happened too quickly even he missed some parts where it drastically changed and twisted.

In the short moments it took to reach Hyungwon, Shownu slowed down, letting Kihyun catch up and eventually surpass him. He thought, maybe, by some twisted logic and delusional thinking, that letting Kihyun kiss Hyungwon would mend their relationship. It didn’t come out all that unreasonable though, because if he let Kihyun do it, then Kihyun wouldn’t be mad at him for doing it himself. And he never intended to get mad at Kihyun anyways.

Hell, it would be awkward to deal with, but at least they wouldn’t be hating each other at the end of this.

Hyungwon was understandably in a trance, way too fazed about the… unanticipated events. He barely registered someone turning him back around and wrapping his arms around him tightly.

“Hyungwon…oh my god I missed you so much…” Wonho was sniffing uncontrollably. Hyungwon still felt him shaking against his body.

He pulled away from the hug to examine Wonho better. His eyes were red and swollen. It was still wet with tears. The beautiful curve on his eyes was a stark contrast.

“I can say so myself.” Hyungwon smiled, taking a piece of tissue from his pockets and wiping away Wonho’s tears. They were talking as if Kihyun didn’t kiss Hyungwon. It felt slightly amiss, but Hyungwon was nowhere near confiding about the truth.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Wonho asked, slightly flustered by the tissue on his cheeks and the slender hand brushing against his skin every so often.

Hyungwon diverted his gaze when he realized how stupid and impolite he would’ve looked.

He was wondering what it felt like to kiss properly, and about doing it to someone he actually cared about, but of course he wasn’t going to say that. “Nothing, I guess I just missed you a lot more than I initially thought I would.”

Wonho’s eyes changed into something darker, staring deeper into Hyungwon’s orbs, more intensely than before. Hyungwon stopped his movements and Wonho reached up to take his hand gently.

Hyungwon, even though he was taller, felt small again under Wonho’s gaze, brain functions slowing down to a halt until he no longer knew what he was doing.

“What…?” Hyungwon was positive that sounded incredibly stupid. What was even more stupid was that his heart was beating miles per hour, imagining them in a K-Drama scene and expecting Wonho to lean down and kiss him.

Suddenly Wonho beamed and let go of Hyungwon’s hand, letting it drop limply down Hyungwon’s side.

“I was just scaring you!” The smile broke into a laugh and his eyes turned into the most mesmerizing crescent moons Hyungwon had ever seen in the thousands of nights he lived throughout his life. And it wasn’t even night time yet.

Hyungwon smiled embarrassedly and turned away to hide his pink cheeks.

Minhyuk finally got a chance to talk to Jooheon privately after his release, but he was left confused when he couldn’t think of anything to say. He already asked Jooheon about his experience with the virtual reality headset, and other than that he just couldn’t think of another suitable topic.

But because of the strong desire to interact with his crush, he walked over to Jooheon anyways and said the first thing that came up in his mind.

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

Jooheon glowed with his eye smile and thanked Minhyuk once again for saving him, even though Changkyun played the biggest part, and Minhyuk was technically the troublemaker. “Also, thank you for stopping me before I actually kiss Hyungwon. I would’ve regretted it, definitely.”

Minhyuk smiled too, feeling his heart go tingly just by looking at Jooheon’s endearing smile. “Of course you would’ve. My first kiss was stolen in the worse way possible, so I wouldn’t let that happen to you.”

Looking at Jooheon standing right in front of him, Minhyuk got another idea. In an instant, his smile turned into a smirk and his eyes shimmered with mischief. Jooheon didn’t seem to notice until Minhyuk leaned in, positioning himself so that his mouth was right next to Jooheon’s ears.

“Besides, I have to be the one to steal your first kiss.” Minhyuk stayed in place for a while until he was able to feel the heat emitting from Jooheon’s now burning ears.

“Can you stop saying these things please? It’s so embarrassing!” Jooheon said when Minhyuk pulled back, fidgeting nervously and trying to hide his crimson cheeks and ears.

“But you said it yourself. You chose to come here. You chose to meet and get to know me. You chose to listen to me. You chose to get embarrassed.”

Minhyuk smirked and laughed at Jooheon’s even more flustered expression. He looked so much cuter when he was annoyed, especially because he wasn’t the kind to take revenge.

“I know you’re annoyed, so I will give you three seconds to hit me.” Minhyuk offered, mischievous smile plastered on his face.

Without waiting further, Minhyuk started, “3…”

“What?”

“2…”

“Wait, I’m just annoyed! Why would I hit you?”

“1…” Minhyuk elongated the “1”, moving closer to Jooheon again while doing so.

“What are you doing?” Jooheon asked, hands holding up instinctively. “I’m not hitting you. Go away, you’re too-”

Jooheon didn’t get to finish that sentence because Minhyuk closed the last of the distance between them, gap replaced by their connected lips.

Having no idea how to react, Jooheon stood frozen until Minhyuk decided to pull away. Thankfully for Jooheon, Minhyuk turned away immediately, towards a loud rumbling sound behind them.

A part of the wall turned out to be a secret doorway to a hallway. It wasn’t particularly long, so everyone saw the room at the end of the corridor.

And the light shining into the room, from two glass doors that screamed “freedom”.

Without hesitance, they ran.


	22. Ending + Epilogue

The temptation to swing a punch at that ugly mask was as strong as ever.

Shownu's body was ready, but his mind wasn't. Even though he was standing less than a few meters away, something other than Kihyun's warning eyes stopped him from raising that fist.

"Thanks for playing, you can leave now. I hope you learnt a valuable lesson." Maybe he didn't want to sound like it, but those words were dripping with sarcasm.

Till this moment, Shownu still couldn't believe that the game ended that easily, that they were released just like that. But he placed that thought aside for now. What Smiley said was weird and still slightly annoying (anything coming out of his mouth was annoying), but it also made Shownu think of something that he still didn't quite understand.

Maybe he did learn a lesson.

Maybe that was why he was still standing in his place; instead of beating up the person he hated most. Like Jooheon said, maybe the people culpable right here should be themselves and not him.

"Really? We can leave now?" Minhyuk asked, a little doubtful. It was the question everyone had in their heads.

"Yea, why would I lie?" Smiley said, pointing towards the exit. It was a different door from where they first entered. "One more thing to add, you are the first group to win so far. And you are also the only group that managed to impress me. Thanks for you time. I really appreciate it."

Shownu ignored the fact that there were more victims before them, and probably even more to come after they leave. He was more interested in the weird behaviour of the man that forced them to play games in the cruellest way possible. He wanted to believe that Smiley actually meant no harm from the very beginning till the end, but heck, it was hard to comprehend even the concept of that.

How can one change so quickly? Or rather, how can one act so well?

"Ok, let's go." Minhyuk said, leading the way in the front of the group. Changkyun quickened his steps to catch up, as if they were magnets that couldn't be pulled apart.

Jooheon hesitated for a while before bowing. "Um... I did learn a lesson, so...thank you." Changkyun turned around and smiled when he heard it, but hurried to catch up to his friend again.

"Well, I guess I still hate myself for agreeing with a stranger in the first place. Why did I even listen...?" Hyungwon trailed off when he remembered Smiley was within earshot distance. He immediately swallowed the rude words he planned to say and wondered how Smiley reacted. But of course, he had no way of knowing with that comical mask in the way.

"All of us share a part of the blame." Wonho said, looking at Hyungwon. "I didn't have a choice about being scared of heights, but I did make the choice of listening to a..." He lowered his voice so only Hyungwon could hear him. "...handsome stranger like you."

Hyungwon flushed at Wonho's boldness and turned around hastily to leave. He didn't need everyone seeing his flustered expression, his face looked bad enough from the lack of sleep.

Wonho smiled cheekily, said a final "goodbye", and then followed Hyungwon.

Suddenly Kihyun felt slightly awkward being left alone with Shownu. He didn't manage to get over the previous event yet, and it was annoying him greatly, even though he had to say he was grateful for a permanent end to his intermittent headache.

He could fit another person in between himself and Shownu, but he like it was still too close. Taking a quick look at the direction of the exit, he waved nonchalantly to both Smiley and Shownu, muttering something about getting sunlight after two days of darkness, and then walked away.

Shownu knew he should probably leave too, return to his life behind the big double doors waiting for him right across the room, and most importantly sort out the matters that his life made for him while he was gone.

But he still wanted to know.

"Why did you make this game?" Shownu asked, all the anger he had previously dissipated.

Smiley looked towards the exit before turning back. "Why aren't you leaving?" Shownu exhaled harder than normal. He just had to accept that not answering questions wasn't part of Smiley's acting.

"Because I still have unanswered questions."

Smiley took off his mask to show his smirk. "As long as you don't mind keeping your friends waiting, I'm fine answering. The next game doesn't start in a few weeks anyways."

"First question, why did you make this game?" Shownu asked again.

"To teach people a lesson, and to see if people learn at all."

Shownu raised his eyebrow. "Good intentions?"

Smiley nodded. "Good intentions." He didn't seem to be afraid of his actions getting exposed.

Shownu wasn't fully convinced, but that was good enough. Actions speak louder than words. "Next, why do you have to be so psychopathic during the game?"

"So I can see people work under stress and fear, and see how their actions and behaviour change."

Shownu cringed. "Are you doing experiments on humans?"

Smiley laughed once and walked closer. "I am if you think I am."

Shownu was displeased by the ambiguous answer.

"Any more questions?"

"You know that we can just tell the police about what you did, right?" He could intimidate the other by reiterating his occupation, but after everything, it wasn't necessary to clarify his identity as a police officer anymore. Smiley probably knew the whole time.

"Of course, but I know you won't. None of my contestants did."

That was even harder to believe, but oh well, he was right. They didn't plan to report this to the police.

"Did you plan out the group of contestants for each game?"

Smiley tsked and pretended to be disappointed. "Did you forget what you just learnt?"

No, he didn't. "But..." It was too coincidental how he and Kihyun ended up together.

"Things aren't as simple as you think. One thing leads to another. What you chose a year ago affects the choices you have now, the choice you have to make."

Shownu sighed. He still couldn't grasp the intentions of the man in front of him.

"Any more questions? I actually have a date with my friend later." Smiley said, just like any normal person would. "I have to say, you're the first contestant to ever ask questions like this."

Shownu couldn't believe that a person like him had friends. But he mustn't forget, Smiley was a human too.

And yes, he still had one question. "What's your name?"

Smiley, well...he smiled.

-

_A/N: From this point on everything is just extra content (ships) that doesn't really contribute to the story line, so if you don't like these kind of things just skip it. If you want to know Smiley's real name scroll down to the end._

 

**One week later**

"Are you an angel 그대 등 뒤 숨긴 날개가 없다면 이럴 순 없겠지~" (a/n: lyrics taken from IZ's _Angel_ )

Jooheon saw the caller ID, received the call and switched to his left hand so he could write with his right.

"Hello?"

"HI JOOHEON!" Jooheon jerked at the loud noise, pulling his phone away from his ear and groaning at the line of ink across the whole page he created with his pen.

"What do you want?"

"Oh wow, is that how you talk to hyungs now?" Jooheon sighed and threw his pen on his desk, leaving the work behind to deal with the caller. He was already starting to regret picking up, considering all the schoolwork he had plus the test scheduled at the end of the week.

"Minhyuk-hyung, I have a lot of work to do." Jooheon kept his voice serious, hoping Minhyuk knew the boundaries.

But of course he didn't. "But it's a public holiday tomorrow! You need to relax and play with your friends, just do your homework tomorrow!"

Jooheon looked at the clock. 6:30pm. He had been working for almost three hours after school ended at 3:30pm. He did get through a lot of work, and he could do some rest. It was almost dinnertime anyways.

"Want to get dinner together?"

After 30 minutes, Minhyuk, Jooheon, and Changkyun met up in a restaurant that was closest to Minhyuk's home. He insisted that he would pay for the meal for everyone, so he needed to save some transportation fees.

"You guys don't mind right?" Jooheon asked, swallowing a mouthful of rice.

"Of course I don't, I really want to meet your friends." Minhyuk replied, already planning what to say when they arrive. He still didn't get why Jooheon stayed with people who ditched him.

Changkyun shrugged. "Sure." He took a sip of his drink, looking indulged in his plate of food because he didn't need to pay for it.

Jooheon smiled at them and answered his phone, confirming that his friends would arrive in 10 minutes. They either shared apartments or lived close together.

"Hopefully they don't ditch you again like last time." Minhyuk joked, stealing some of Changkyun's food.

"Hey!" Changkyun slapped Minhyuk arm, but the food was already in his mouth.

Jooheon giggled. "They won't, they already apologized to me through the phone. More than once, actually. Besides, I'd still have you even if they don't come."

"Ha, that's right." Minhyuk replied, giving Changkyun some of his food as an apology.

"Oh by the way, don't you have homework like Jooheon?" Minhyuk asked Changkyun, slapping his head gently.

Changkyun almost choked on his food, but he looked like he was used to the action. "I do, probably even more. But I whizzed through the Computer Science stuff already since I'm such a pro. I left the Psychology assignments for tomorrow."

"Yea, sure, you're totally a pro. I saw you break two computers in one semester." Minhyuk said, ignoring the punches on his side. "You even broke the school record."

Changkyun groaned and rolled his eyes. "I told you _so_ many times, I was just trying to know more about computers. It's not my fault the school computers break every time I try and reassemble them." Changkyun went on for a while, explaining what he did to the computer and the apparently slow and out-dated cables their school uses.

Minhyuk shook his head playfully and pushed a plate of food towards Changkyun. "Just eat your food."

Once again, Jooheon was impressed by Changkyun's intelligence. He always had a thing for smart people. Too bad Changkyun wasn't into boys. Jooheon was a bit disappointed, but he had to stay respectful after all. Besides, he still didn't know how to deal with the kiss Minhyuk stole from him.

The restaurant door opened with a welcome song (the really annoying ones) and a group of noisy boys entered, earning disapproving glares from the customers.

Jooheon waved at them, while Minhyuk asked a waiter very politely to add more chairs.

"See, told you they won't ditch me." Jooheon said, shifting to his left just in time for one of his friends to collapse onto the couch. He would've gotten squashed if he reacted just a second late.

"Hello! I can't believe Jooheon actually made new friends!" The boy next to Jooheon said. To Minhyuk, he acted and looked so much younger, but at the same time he was in the same year level as Jooheon. "I'm Soonyoung, by the way."

Changkyun stopped eating and greeted them. Jooheon helped introduce them one by one.

"This is Soojung, Hyunjun, Minseok, and Junyoung." Jooheon said, pointing to each person respectively. "And he already said just now, he's Soonyoung. This kid is so smart he skipped a few years of primary school."

Minhyuk widened his eyes and applauded him. "Wow...you're so awesome!" Soonyoung beamed at the compliment, while Jooheon laughed awkwardly.

"Nah, he's not that awesome sometimes. He can't help me with Mathematics and Physics, and his excuse was because he didn't choose those subjects." Minseok said.

"Oh, then let Changkyun help you!" Not waiting for permission, he stood up and changed seats with Minseok. Changkyun had no say in this.

Jooheon smiled sympathetically at Changkyun before he was bombarded by a bunch of Maths questions.

"Hey Jooheon," Soonyoung started. Minhyuk noted that he was probably the closest to Jooheon.

"Yea?" Jooheon stuffed the half eaten dumpling into his mouth.

"Changkyun's cute, does he have a boyfriend?"

Jooheon barely kept the food inside his mouth when he started coughing violently. He looked at Changkyun nervously and sighed, relieved that Changkyun heard none of that.

"Soonyoung, just because we like the same gender doesn't mean everyone feels the same as we do. This is why you don't get along with most boys."

Soonyoung laughed awkwardly and scratched his head. "Oops, I'm sorry...But he is cute. I would date him if I were a girl." Jooheon smiled, but he could totally relate.

Still, Jooheon closed his eyes and take a deep breath. "How about you say that louder and see what happens."

Everyone but Minseok and Changkyun heard it, sending them into fits of laughter. Minhyuk knew they were really close to being banned from the restaurant, but who cares when he got friends like this?

-

"Why are we always eating lunch together?" Hyungwon asked after swallowing a mouthful of risotto.

Wonho placed down his cutlery. "Why? Do you hate eating with me?" He sounded a bit upset, but the smile on his face clearly stated otherwise.

"No," Hyungwon smiled too, as if it was all a joke. "I usually make my own lunch and eat it at my office. I'm not used to spending so much on my afternoon meal."

Wonho stared at the plates in front of them, the small quantity probably amounting to ridiculous prices. "I was going to say it's boring to eat at the same place everyday, but after visiting your office, I understand why you don't mind staying there for the majority of the day, five days a week."

Hyungwon scraped up the rest of the rice and put it in his mouth. He didn't allow even one grain of rice to stay on the plate.

Wonho took this chance to say something. "I don't mind paying for your lunch if you're willing to leave your office everyday."

Hyungwon raised an eyebrow while taking a sip of soda. "Do you like me that much?" He seemed to be asking this question a lot the past week.

Wonho smirked. "Of course, I did say I'm your boyfriend, didn't I?" He was fully amused by Hyungwon's reactions, leaving the half eaten food on his table as if it wasn't important.

Hyungwon almost choked on his drink, though he managed to swallow it painfully before coughing. "Wait, no, _you_ have you get this straight, okay? _You_ said _you_ were my boyfriend to my boss so I won't get into trouble. That doesn't make things real."

For one second Hyungwon thought he upset Wonho, but the cheeky smirk on his face just got larger. "But one thing that's real is that I like you and you like me-"

"Wait a min-"

"You don't have to deny it, it's obvious." Hyungwon shut up after that, having no defense against his probably red face. "So what do you think we need to do before we are boyfriends?"

"I just...I don't...it's my-" Hyungwon hated when he stuttered, but that was something he had to deal with. He just didn't understand how he became a lawyer with this level of social skills.

"It's your first time?" Wonho said, completing Hyungwon's sentence. "Everyone has his first time. Though I'm surprised you haven't dated before. I thought you'd have a lot of admirers."

Hyungwon sighed. "Don't even remind me about them. You have no idea how much effort it took me to shoo them away."

"Are you going to shoo me away too?" Wonho took a sip of his own drink, giving up completely on his food.

Hyungwon opened his mouth but closed it before any sound came out.

"I'm going to take that as a no." Wonho said, earning an eye-roll from the other. "You wouldn't have come out today if you wanted to."

"I guess you're right." Hyungwon looked thoughtful, as if he didn't know that until someone told him. He wouldn't have agreed on this lunch date if he didn't like Wonho. Was he giving him a chance? Or has he already decided?

To keep the conversation going, Wonho commented, "I don't understand how you are the most valued employee as your boss said, and yet you struggle to make a conversation most of the times."

Hyungwon looked like he wanted to bury his face with his hands, but he didn't. Instead he cleared his drink from the almost empty cup to hide his discomfort, and to buy time. "I can't help it, okay? I don't know why I act like this in front of you either. Maybe it's because I don't get to practice and prepare like before a court..."

 _You._ "Are you saying you only act like this in front of me?"

"What? No!" Hyungwon said a bit too quickly. This time there weren't any drink left to hide his real emotions.

"Stop lying, it's written all over your face." Wonho said, biting back his chuckles. "By the way, you can take my drink."

Hyungwon hated it. He hated it when he was so transparent and people could read him like words on a paper. It was so frustrating and flustering. "I don't want your drink." He turned on his phone lying on the table and checked the time. "I have to go soon. And thanks for your offer, but I'm paying for myself."

Wonho looked pleased at his successful attempt to annoy Hyungwon. He didn't know why, but Hyungwon looked cuter when he gets flustered and irritated.

Wonho waved a waiter over and signaled for the bill. "Can you just tell me, what I need to do before I can call you my boyfriend?"

"Jeez...why are you so straightforward and bold?" Hyungwon half expected Wonho to give up, but Wonho nodded his head and prompted him to go on. "I'm only answering so you won't tease me with more of your silly comments."

"Sure." Wonho replied, taking out the exact amount of cash and giving it to the waiter who came back, ignoring Hyungwon's request to pay himself.

Hyungwon didn't even bother to say anything about it. "We're not boyfriends yet, not until we..." Damn, it was so much harder to say it out loud.

"We...?" Wonho asked, standing up and getting ready to leave.

Hyungwon stood up too, heading towards the exit while he tried again. "Until we...kiss..." He lowered his voice into a whisper. Why was it so hard to say that word? He wasn't a kid anymore.

"What? I didn't hear you." Wonho asked, though he heard it loud and clear. And he knew Hyungwon knew he heard it too. How could he not, when they were standing right next to each other?

Hyungwon pushed open the door, not planning to answer Wonho's question.

Wonho laughed and followed Hyungwon out the restaurant. "Hey Hyungwon, I seriously didn't hear you that time. Repeat it please."

"In your dreams." Hyungwon shouted, speeding up his pace to leave Wonho behind.

Wonho chased up easily and grabbed Hyungwon's wrist. "Why are you in a hurry? Your lunch break lasts for at least 30 minutes more."

"My boss gave me a lot of work to do. I have to finish it before today ends." Hyungwon didn't turn around so he could smile without Wonho knowing. It was a constant competition of who could annoy the other more.

"Oh my god...I know you're lying Hyungwon." Wonho couldn't keep in his laughs.

Hyungwon turned around, revealing his widened grin. "But seriously, I want to finish my work as soon as possible so I can get off earlier."

"You can do that? Your boss is so nice." Wonho said, remembering his encounter with Hyungwon's boss, Jinho. (a/n: read the bonus chapter if you want to know what happened. It's not important though :P)

"Yea whatever." Hyungwon said, flinging his arms to loosen Wonho's grip.

"Hey, is that how you treat your boyfriend?"

Hyungwon gave Wonho a death glare. He tried to use his height as an advantage, but the cheeky grin on Wonho's face was doing weird things to him.

"Aish...you're so annoying sometimes." Wonho said again. "You left me no choice..."

"Oh shut up, you do have a choice. Besides, you're the annoying one here. Don't come annoying other people just because you get a holiday." Hyungwon said, ending the conversation by heading to his office building.

Wonho chased up to him again and stopped right in his path. "I'm not letting you go before we become boyfriends."

Hyungwon turned from annoyed to confused to understanding in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, it still wasn't fast enough.

Wonho placed his hands on Hyungwon's shoulder, using that as a leverage to reach his lips.

Hyungwon was surprised that he didn't even think about the few pedestrians that might have caught them. Instead, he found himself closing his eyes and kissing back.

And boy...

_Wonho's lips felt way better than Kihyun's._

-

It took him a long time to finally press the green button his phone, and even longer to type in the 10 numbers that made a phone number.

He could blame it on the amount of workload and explaining he had to do, but when took him more than a week to pick up his phone, there really wasn't an excuse anymore.

And even then, the reason why he finally pressed the "call" button was because his finger was trembling so bad it accidentally touched it.

No excuse, and no turning back.

"Hello?" He tensed at the familiar voice, gripping his phone tighter responsively.

"...Hi Kihyun."

"...Shownu?" Shownu wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a slight waver in Kihyun's voice.

"Yea, I'm Shownu."

That answer was pointless, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. He should've planned the conversation out like those love-struck people in K-Dramas.

"Why did you call me?"

"I just wanted to check on you. Are you readjusting to your life well?"

He wanted to apologize again for pulling Kihyun into the game, but stopped himself last minute realizing what effect that would bring.

"..." Kihyun didn't answer.

The silence was deafening.

"Kihyun? Are you ok? Are your headaches back? You should go to the doctor. I can go with you."

Shownu realized he probably said too much, but he couldn't stop himself this time. He was genuinely worried.

Shownu heard Kihyun laugh through the phone speakers. He frowned, identifying the sound as a sad chuckle.

"Why do you even care? You waited almost 10 days before calling. You'd thought I would've gone to the doctor already if my headaches are back, which they aren't, for your information. And 10 days are definitely enough to readjust, don't you think? Why are you asking now?"

Shownu knew what Kihyun was right, and that was what made everything more depressing. The only thing that kept him going was the fact that Kihyun haven't hung up yet.

"I'm glad your headaches are gone." Shownu meant to say something wrong, but he didn't know what was the right thing to say. He'd rather not make a mistake by saying the wrong thing.

"Are you done 'checking on me'?"

"What about your job? I almost lost mine, so I wanted to make sure you didn't."

At this point Shownu would say anything to keep Kihyun on the phone. He didn't even know why he called in the first place anymore. The purpose was lost somewhere in the conversation.

There was a long pause. A painstakingly long one compared to the first. Shownu had to gulp several times to recompose himself. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against his bedroom door.

He was standing when he first started.

Shownu heard a sniff. Something was wrong. He knew it. Did Kihyun lose his job? Or was it worse? Why didn't he just go to Kihyun's apartment?

"Kihyun...are you okay?"

"What? Of course I'm okay. I was just...I was just writing down some recipe ideas for the restaurant I work in. I wanted to write it down before I forget. Sorry for the long pause." Followed by an awkward chuckle.

Shownu felt his heart break a little. It was all his fault. He shouldn't have waited so long before talking to Kihyun. Things were fine during the game. At least, that was how it felt like. If he talked to Kihyun sooner, Kihyun wouldn't be hiding his problems away like he was doing now. Kihyun would trust him, and they might even...

"Kihyun, I care."

Shownu looked up to keep his tears from falling. Not that anyone would see anyways.

Kihyun took a while to answer again.

"What?"

"I do care about you. Because of reasons I might or might not tell you later on."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you're not writing down recipes."

That would definitely evoke a negative comment, but that was part of Shownu's plan. He only hoped it would work. _Please don't hang up._

"What-How would _you_ know? Are you stalking me?"

The anger was back. At least a part of it. It was better than listening to Kihyun choke on his tears.

Shownu couldn't help but smile.

"No, I'm not. I kind of wish I was."

"Wh-what?! You creep!" Kihyun shouted so loudly the speaker went static for a while. Shownu almost laughed out loud.

"Kihyun."

"What?"

"Kihyun."

"What? Why are you repeating my name? Creep."

"Kihyun. I just like the sound of your name."

"You're getting _really_ weird. Can you just get to the point? I'm really writing down recipes. I have to work."

Shownu knew Kihyun wasn't.

"Do you remember how we met?"

"What? How does that have anything to do with this?"

"Someone stole food from the restaurant you worked in. I was assigned that case."

"You're not making any sense, Shownu. Listen to yourself."

"We met, since you were one of the chefs on duty. I asked you for your name, but I forgot afterwards because I asked too many witnesses for their names that day."

"Are you drunk? Oh my god...why are you giving me trouble again?"

Kihyun was just saying that to make Shownu stop, Shownu knew that. But Kihyun didn't hang up, which meant he wanted to hear whatever Shownu was about to say. He knew Kihyun too well.

"Since that day, I ate at your restaurant as frequently as possible, asking the waiter to let me see the chef every time I visited."

Kihyun didn't answer. He didn't know this.

"It took me around...I don't know, maybe a month? To finally see you. The waiter called different chefs out. I didn't know what rank you were, so I couldn't be specific. It was awkward when the same chef walked out and recognized me from two days ago."

"What...you're so...silly."

Shownu allowed his tears to finally fall.

"When I saw the nametag on your chef outfit, I wrote it down and repeated it everyday so I wouldn't forget."

"You were creepy from the very beginning..."

Shownu made out the irregular breathing. Kihyun was crying too.

"Yea, I was. It was easy to remember because it sounded so nice to me. I finally asked for your number the third time I asked for you to come out in the restaurant."

"You were the only customer whom I saw three times."

"I knew that."

"No you didn't. You were lucky that I happened to be free every time you asked for me."

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For coming out to see me those days."

"I...I didn't come out just to see you. I thought there was something wrong with the food I made."

Shownu smiled.

"And thanks for your beautiful name."

"That sounds too cheesy."

"I'm sorry."

"...Can you stop changing topics so quickly? What are you apologizing for?"

"For not calling you sooner."

Kihyun laughed bitterly. Shownu could imagine him shaking his head.

"You're apologizing for the wrong thing again, Shownu."

"You're right. And sorry for not recognizing your beautiful name sooner."

"Why are you so obsessed with my name?"

"Because it reminded me why I dated you on the first day and..."

"And?"

"And it reminded me why I wanted to get back with you."

"So do you know what you're sorry for now?"

"I'm sorry for being selfish."

Kihyun sighed. "And?"

"Not realizing there's only one Kihyun."

"You're not making sense."

"Yes I am. You just don't know I am."

"What do you mean?"

Shownu smiled.

"Something happened that day when we left Smiley's building or whatever. I talked to him, and here's what I found out..."

_"What's your name?" Shownu asked._

_Smiley, well, he smiled. "Are you sure you want to know?"_

_"Yea?"_

_"Ok. You asked for it."_

_"Yea, I know, I chose to know, okay?"_

_"I'm...it's a coincidence, really."_

_"Can you get straight to the point?"_

_"Nice to meet you Shownu, I'm Kihyun."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Author's Note]:
> 
> Silly me forgot to post yesterday 


	23. BONUS CHAPTER

**Joohyuk**

(at the restaurant)

"Hey, Soonyoung, looks like you're really unlucky with boys. Maybe you should just change sexuality." Hyunjun remarked, the others unable to keep in their uncontrolled giggles.

Jooheon sighed, wondering how he ended up with a bunch of immature boys.

Instead of feeling offended, Soonyoung announced proudly, "I can always try again with Jooheon."  
  


And just like that, Jooheon almost choked for the third time in one meal. He didn't like talking about the past, especially not about this particular piece of memory about him and Soonyoung. They had a covert relationship, kind of like Hyungwon and Wonho's during the game. They never did anything though, because Jooheon never accepted and Soonyoung never really tried too hard. At the end they just stuck to being friends, which worked out really well. Most of the times, anyways.

Hyunjun and Junyoung laughed even louder, but Soojung looked serious. Maybe it was just his resting face though. His face was slightly boring compared to the lively boys.

"Soonyoung, you better not try."

Jooheon was confused. Usually his friends would gang up and tease him.

"Why?" Soonyoung said, oblivious of everything and occupied with the multicolored drink in front of him.

Soojung was sitting next to Minhyuk after Minhyuk switched places with Minseok. "Because Minhyuk right here said Jooheon's his."

This time, Jooheon actually choked. Why was he always eating when people talk? Minhyuk decided to walk over and help at this moment, and Jooheon couldn't reject even if he wanted to.

The next thing he knew, he was in the washroom with Minhyuk.

He didn't know why, but he felt relieved when he finally left the washroom, and even more knowing they didn't do anything other than cleaning up his clothes (he sprayed his food all over his shirt).

Minhyuk opened the bathroom door, leading Jooheon back to their table. "You know, I was serious."

"Huh?" Jooheon was still looking at his dirtied shirt. It was one of his favorites.

"About what Soojung said."

Jooheon stopped wiping his shirt and froze in place. He looked up slowly with his round, innocent eyes. "Um..." He didn't know how to respond.

Minhyuk walked closer. "Why are you so nervous?" He laughed, pulling Jooheon and turning around to return to their table.

"Why did you stop?" Jooheon asked, looking at their table a few steps away.

Minhyuk didn't answer, eyes locked with Jooheon's while walking closer to him.

Jooheon found this scene familiar. But Minhyuk couldn't possibly, right? Surely not in public.

"Hyung, can you at least-"

Too late. He felt something soft and warm against his lips. But it was dry. So no tongue yet. Thankfully.

Suddenly he would prefer something to have happened in the bathroom rather than here.

"W-what...why..." Feeling the weight of 30 pairs of eyes on him, Jooheon couldn't say anything, let alone walk or escape.

Minhyuk left, walking towards their table as if nothing happened. Everyone was laughing on that table.

Still, Jooheon found it hard to believe what just happened. His first kiss got stolen, and his second was done in public. It occurred to him that he was left with no choice.

He could never erase this scene away from his memory. It was just impossible. Taking out his phone, he typed:

_Bye Minhyuk, I'm going back home now to finish my homework._

_..._

_So I can hang out with you tomorrow._

_Thanks for the meal_

He never felt so helpless in his life. But then again, he chose to do what he did just now. He stuffed his phone in his pockets, take the bag handed to him by Soojung while walking past the table, and then exited the restaurant.

"We're definitely getting banned..."

 

**Hyungwonho**

Closing the door behind him, Hyungwon inhaled a mouthful of fresh air. He basked in the afternoon sunlight and sighed at the slight warmth against his skin. It was a nice feeling despite the cold weather. He felt very uncomfortable wearing the same clothes for three consecutive days, but as much as he wanted to return home straightaway to wash up, he had no choice but to visit his office and solve the problems that were definitely sitting at his desk waiting.

Before he forgot, though, Hyungwon asked everyone for their phone numbers so they could keep in contact. He didn't have time now to talk, but he knew he would have to make a proper apology eventually. Besides, he sensed a great potential to make new friends. If they aren't already friends.

Miraculously, their phones returned to normal, all the apps and data retrieved with nothing missing.

"I will give you Shownu's number, he probably won't be coming out soon." Kihyun said, typing numbers into Hyungwon's phone in lightening speed.

Saying a quick "thanks" to Kihyun, Hyungwon headed down the path, towards the main street that led to his office building. He had to hurry, but he wouldn't allow his brain to imagine the face of his angry boss.

"Hey, where are you going? I was going to ask you out for lunch, but I guess you're busy?" Hyungwon stopped and turned around, spotting a shouting Wonho.

"Sorry, I have to return to my office. I have to explain what happened and pick my the workload that piled up over these three days." Hyungwon shouted back.

Wonho ran towards Hyungwon to join him. "Can I go with you? I can wait for you and we can still eat lunch afterwards."

Hyungwon smiled suggestively. "Do you like me that much? You can eat lunch with the others." He started walking again, a signal for Wonho to follow.

"Think what you want, but I'm just interested to see a lawyer's office." Wonho replied, matching Hyungwon's hurried steps so they could walk side by side.

Hyungwon simply shrugged, eyes focused on the direction of his destination. He was grateful for the short distance; he didn't feel like walking after everything.

"By the way, you never told me what you do." They stopped in front of a traffic light. People were walking on the streets right across them, separated by cars whizzing by. It was weird to think life remained its normalcy while things could be chaotic just a 5-minute walk away.

The light turned green and they started crossing the road. "I work in a secondary school, as a physical education teacher."

Hyungwon nodded in realization. "So that's why you don't seem worried at all. It's winter break for the students, right?"

"Yup." Wonho smiled, grateful for the break he got along with the students. It was one of the advantages of being a teacher. "I just have a bunch of homework to mark. After that, no more work until after the break."

"I'm envious." Hyungwon said, mimicking the voice of a sad kid. Wonho found that cute, but didn't comment on it as Hyungwon announced they arrived.

"Just stay here." Hyungwon gestured to Wonho as he pushed open the glass doors.

Wonho pouted. "But I want to see your office!"

Hyungwon sighed and released his hand from the doors. Luckily it was the middle of lunch hour and no one was returning yet, so no one would witness this awkward encounter. "I'm already in a lot of trouble, you know that right?"

Wonho looked at Hyungwon's orbs as if trying to find a secret lying underneath it. "But it's lunchtime. No one will see us."

Hyungwon let out an exasperated sigh, but could only abide since he had no rebut to Wonho's witty answer. "Fine, come in. _Quietly._ And don't touch anything. And I mean _nothing._ "

Wonho grinned cheekily and walked in the building with a skip in his steps. It contrasted hugely to Hyungwon's anxious steps as he made his way to the lifts, feeling very lucky that there was no one in the lobby other than a clueless security guard.

When they reached the correct floor, Wonho rushed out the elevator impatiently and glanced right and left repeatedly, trying to figure out where the correct door would be.

Hyungwon shook his head at Wonho's childish behavior and walked out the elevator slowly. He felt safer now that he made it to his floor without any problems.

Suddenly Wonho stopped moving his head, tilting it instead while settling his gaze on something to his right.

"What? What did you see?" Hyungwon asked, frustrated at his own paranoia. Instinctively he returned to the safety of the elevator, trying to pull Wonho back with him.

"I don't know, he's really short, for a man anyways. He looks like a young kid, and he is leaning against the door closest to the far wall, answering a phone call."

Hyungwon had no idea who that might be, but Wonho's description got him curious. The door closest to the far wall led to his office. Finally he sighed and joined Wonho, looking round the elevator to figure out who and why someone was standing right outside his office.

Despite being a bit mean, Wonho was right. That person was short. When that person turned around slightly, Hyungwon got to see his face more clearly. It matched with the image floating around in Hyungwon's head since the moment the game ended.

It was his boss.

"SHIT-" Hyungwon covered his mouth, but it was too late. Nothing could escape his boss' extraordinary hearing.

His boss saw him and started walking towards the elevator, ending the call with a few short words and putting away his phone.

There was no escape, so Hyungwon just sighed and got ready to face his fate.

"Oh, it's Hyungwon I see." His boss said, looking up due to his short height. "So you finally decided to come back. Did you catch the flu? Or is it family problems? What was so important that you had to leave without informing anyone in this building and disappear for three days?"

Hyungwon expected his boss to shout, but he didn't, which was even more unsettling in Hyungwon's opinion. He gulped; got ready to apologize, but his boss didn't give him a chance.

"And who is this? Don't tell me he's a new worker or some bullshit along those lines. I know all my employees by heart, and we aren't hiring." Man, how can short people get so intimidating sometimes? It just didn't make sense.

"Um..." Was all Hyungwon could utter. It definitely wasn't a great answer, especially to someone like your boss. He couldn't lie, that was obvious, but he wasn't prepared to say the truth either.

That was when Wonho decided to take matters into his own hands, which Hyungwon couldn't decide whether was a good or bad thing. "Good afternoon, sir. I'm actually Hyungwon's boyfriend."

Hyungwon started blushing immediately, but luckily his boss was focused on Wonho, and his turtleneck did an ok job covering the pink on his neck.

The short man raised his eyebrows. "Oh? And what are you doing here?"

"I'm really sorry sir, but my boyfriend was really sick the last few days. He fainted when he got back home on Friday, so I took him to the hospital and he stayed for a few days. I came with him today in case he faints again. I apologize sincerely for the inconvenience caused."

Hyungwon widened his eyes slightly to be discreet. He didn't know Wonho was such a good liar. Everything sounded so smooth and convincing. He wondered why a lawyer himself couldn't speak like that half of the time.

"Ahh I see. Just say so Hyungwon! I knew you wouldn't be irresponsible like that. You're one of the best lawyers here." The short man said loudly, patting Hyungwon on the shoulder, though it took some effort to reach it.

Hyungwon laughed nervously. "Thank yo-"

"Oh right, you should go pick up your work in your office. I know you just recovered, but we really don't have enough brains here to redistribute your work." Hyungwon's boss interrupted, but it wasn't new at all. He got used to it. He had to.

Hyungwon headed to his office while Wonho waited outside with his boss. For some reason Hyungwon just knew they wouldn't be a pleasant combination, so he tried to pack up as quick as possible.

Outside, Wonho started a conversation. "I didn't know Hyungwon was such a valued employee."

"Didn't he tell you? Everyone loves him. This floor is actually for the best employees, and even then Hyungwon's office is always crowded with other lawyers asking him about recent cases."

"Wow. I guess I have a great boyfriend then." Wonho remarked, genuinely surprised at Hyungwon's competence.

"You bet. But be careful, a lot of female employees have their eyes on him for a long while now." The short man warned playfully, elbowing Wonho like they were best friends.

Wonho laughed. "You must be a great boss to have."

"Well, people act differently in front of different people."

"Right."

"Oh by the way, I forgot to introduce myself, where are my manners?" The short man stuck out his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Jo Jinho, Hyungwon's boss. Not the CEO of this firm, though. Nice to meet you."

Wonho took his hand and shook. "Nice to meet you too."

 

**Showki**

"I knew you lost your job." Shownu said, looking straight ahead instead of Kihyun who was walking beside him.

"What do you mean? Of course you know, I told you." Kihyun replied, feeling moody at the sad remembrance of how he lost his favorite job as a chef.

Shownu stopped in front of a traffic light. "No, I mean I knew before you told me."

This caught Kihyun's attention. Anything Kihyun didn't know will catch his attention. He liked knowing everything. "What? How?"

"That day when I called you. I could hear it through your voice." They crossed the road together when the light turned green. It was a busy street, but it was easy to walk with a police officer right next to you. Everyone was avoiding Shownu.

"Yea, sure, you definitely could. What if I told you I was still working that day when you called me?"

"Why wouldn't I know? I knew you for what, 7 years? How can I not know something is wrong when you clearly sounded like someone who saw someone jump of a building?"

Kihyun laughed. "I don't think that's how people sound after they see someone jump off a building and die."

Shownu smiled. "I don't care, you get the idea."

Kihyun stopped talking, mainly because Shownu was right. Even though they were still technically ex-boyfriends, they were still friends who had known each other for years.

They walked in silence until lunchtime ended and everyone on the streets were back in their offices and workplaces.

"Won't you get in trouble?" Kihyun asked. "Walking with someone and talking while you're supposed to be on duty?"

Shownu brushed off invisible dust from his uniform and continued walking. His lunch doesn't start until an hour later when someone else takes his place. It was a boring shift since there really weren't much to see on the half empty streets. "I'm supposed to be walking with my partner, but he got sick leave today. You can replace him."

"Oh I see, so I'm just a substitute now?" Kihyun said, feigning indignation.

"You know that's not what I meant, Kihyun." Shownu said, not realizing Kihyun stopped a few steps behind him until he reached a turn.

"What happened? Why did you stop?" Shownu turned around and walked towards Kihyun. "Are you okay?"

"Yea I'm okay." Kihyun replied, voice barely a whisper.

"Are you sure? Your eyes though...they don't look good." Shownu said, worry rising rapidly in his chest when he saw the faded color in Kihyun's pupils. It looked like a fog that layered over his shiny orbs.

"It's fine, that happens when I'm sad." Kihyun replied, trying to be reassuring but having the opposite effect on Shownu.

Shownu was about to ask what made Kihyun sad when he recognized where they were. Right next to them was a courtyard of trees and flowers, a mini park for people to rest and walk their dogs. Across the street was a playground made for the kids and students from the primary school just a few blocks away. There were three or four kids playing the swings, laughing and screaming whenever their parents push them too high up. The noise always managed to travel up to Shownu's apartment, which was right across the playground. It sounded way too familiar.

This was where they broke up.

Without saying a word, Shownu pulled the shorter man into an embrace, letting his chin rest on the soft silky peach hair while he rubbed Kihyun's back in a regular pattern.

Kihyun hugged back eventually, but it still took too long for Shownu to understand things weren't the same as before.

At the end, Kihyun was the one to release and pull away first. It was always like this, but this time it felt different.

"I'm sorry, but I think it's time for me to go home. I have to look for a new job as soon as possible. I will probably have to start from the beginning and wait until I'm promoted to a chef again, just like before." Kihyun laughed bitterly, which surprised Shownu because he didn't find starting over as a cleaner waiting 2 years for a single promotion funny.

"You have lunch break soon too, right?" Kihyun said. He wasn't looking at Shownu. He was looking at his feet the whole time. "Let's meet again some other time. Thanks for spending the afternoon with me."

Kihyun was already starting to walk back from where they came from and all Shownu could do was stand there and watch. He had no idea what to say to stop Kihyun. Once he started acting like this, there was no way to stop him. No way that Shownu knew of, anyways.

Somewhere in the deepest corners of his heart, there was still a tiny sliver of hope that Kihyun would turn around and invite himself to eat lunch with Shownu. But who was Shownu kidding? Of course Kihyun walked away without even turning around. Kihyun's head drooped lower with every step he took, and that was just unfair.

Because Kihyun did the exact same thing he did when they broke up a year ago.

That fragment of memory replayed so clearly in Shownu's mind like a movie played at 1080 pixels. There was no denying what he saw. It was all happening again.

But it wasn't fair. It just wasn't. Why did he have to relive all this again after a year? Why do _they_ have to go through this again even after it's done and over with? Shownu was following behind Kihyun with small quiet steps. He couldn't let this happen again. He wouldn't be able to.

But if there was one thing he learnt, it was that he had a choice. This scenario didn't have to replay again. He was going to stop that movie and rewind.

"Kihyun." Shownu said, raising his voice so he could be heard. Kihyun looked up, but didn't turn around. He kept walking. Shownu knew Kihyun was only pretending that he didn't hear it. It was his way to tell him to give up.

But Shownu wasn't going to give up this time. He gave up last time because he didn't know the consequences of his impulsive actions. This time he knew exactly what he needed to do. Screw lunchtime.

"Kihyun, I know we broke up here." Kihyun stopped walking, and Shownu couldn't help but smile. Even though Kihyun's hands were clenched into fists by his side.

"Kihyun, turn around." Kihyun wasn't going to turn around, Shownu knew that, but he tried anyways.

"What do you want?" Kihyun didn't move. Shownu knew he was crying.

Instead of answering, he started walking towards Kihyun until he was right in front of him.

Kihyun didn't expect Shownu to chase up like that so he couldn't hide his tears in time. His eyes were glittering like diamonds under the afternoon sun. Shownu wondered whether this was what he would've seen if he chased up like this a year ago.

"I knew we broke up here," Shownu started. Kihyun cringed at his words, and he was still looking away. "...but it doesn't have to continue this way."

With one hand Kihyun wiped away the tears that fell onto his cheeks and looked at Shownu. He had to take deep breaths as if it was an impossible task for him. "What are you talking about? Why are you always so vague when you talk? You're not writing a poem for god's sake."

"I'm saying," Shownu explained, placing his huge hands on Kihyun's shoulders. "I know you probably hate this place now. But I can help you make this a better place again."

Kihyun tried to shrug off Shownu's hand, but the grip was too hard. Or maybe Kihyun didn't actually have the heart to shrug it off. "You are still not making any sense. And don't tell me that you're making sense and I just don't know it like last time on the phone. Now will you please let me go, I have to go get a job."

Shownu didn't let go. "You don't have to get a job."

"What?" Kihyun stopped the attempt to escape Shownu's grip. He looked confused, but definitely tired as well. Shownu could tell what Kihyun was thinking; he must be thinking that this was even more tiring than talking over the phone. Because it was.

"I will give you a job."

"Stop joking around, you're not senior enough to start hiring people. And I'm not training to be a police. Never."

"No, not a police." Shownu found it funny that Kihyun thought like that.

"Then what?"

"I'm rehiring you as a boyfriend."

The annoyed expression on Kihyun's face was gone in an instant. He stared at Shownu to see if he was joking. They blinked twice, in sync. Shownu was waiting for Kihyun for an answer, just like how Kihyun was waiting for Shownu's explanation.

Finally, Shownu broke the silence. "You have a choice." He let go of Kihyun's shoulder as if demonstrating a point. _You can leave now if you want._

"Yea, I do have a choice." Kihyun answered. His eyes were still glimmering, but instead of diamonds they looked like stars.

Twinkling, shining stars that blinked with life.

"Let's go eat lunch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Author's Note]:
> 
> And that's it! Thank you so much for reading my work (it's really not that good). I enjoyed writing this so hopefully you enjoyed reading it! And also, hopefully you will stay tuned until my next work come out! (I'm currently procrastinating lmao but I'll definitely start when summer holiday starts :))


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